The Congo Rovers

The Congo Rovers

By HAERY COLLINGWOOD.

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The Congo Rovers

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London: BLACKIE & SON, Limited, 50 Old Bailey. E.a

The Congo Rovers

A Story of the Slave Squadron

BY

HARRY COLLINGWOOD

Author of "The Pirate Island" "The Log of the Flying Fiah" "The Rover's

Secret" "The Missing Merchantman" &c.

WITH SIX PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS BY J. SCH6NBERG

BLACKIE AND SON LIMITED

LONDON GLASGOW AND DUBLIN

CONTENTS.

CHAP. Page

I. Mt first Appearance in TJnifobm, 9

II. I QUIT THB PaTKBNAL EoOF, 28

III. The Troth aboot Fitz-Johnes 37

IV. A Boat- EXCURSION into the Congo 50

V. The "Vbstale," 64

VI. In the Congo once more, 81

VII. Mb. Smkllik makes a little Survey, 96

VIII. We attack the Slavkbs, 117

IX. Doomed to the Torture, 139

X. A PiENDisH Ceremonial, 155

XI. Faithful unto Death, 170

XII. Dona Antonia, 186

XIII. An Eventful Night, 205

XIV. We rejoin the "Daphne,'" 222

XV. A Stern Chase — and a fruitless one, .... 235

XVI. A VERY mysterious Occurrence, 248

XVII. Poor Austin's Fate, 263

XVIII. The Cuttbbs beset, 278

XIX. The Situation becomes desperate, 293

. Kescubd, 307

. An awful Catastrophe, 320

XXII. An Abduction and an important Capture, . . . 333

6

ILLUSTRATIONS.

Page
The "Black Venus" boarded and captured, . . Frontis. 348

The French Lieutenant visits the "Daphne," , , , , 65

HaWKBSLEY TBIE3 T REE -CLIMBING, 100

VicTiMa awaiting the Fetish, 148

The Slave Schooner seized, . 219

The last of the "Daphnk,** 332

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MR. HAWKESLEY TRIES TREE CLIMBING-

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THE CONGO ROVERS:

A STORY OF THE SLAVE SQUADBON.

CHAPTER I.

MY FIRST APPEARANCE IN UNIFORM,

M!" ejaculated my father as he thoughtfully
removed his double eye-glass from his nose
with one hand, and with the other passed a
letter to me across the breakfast - table
"Um! this letter will interest you, Dick. It is from
Captain Vernon."

My heart leapt with sudden excitement, and my hand
trembled as I stretched it out for the proffered epistle. The
mention of Captain Vernon's name, together with the an-
nouncement that the subject-matter of the letter was of
interest to me, prepared me in a great measure for the
intelligence it conveyed; which was to the effect that the
writer, having been appointed to the command of the sloop-
of-war Daphney now found himself in a position to fulfil a
promise of some standing to his dear and honoured friend

9

10 A GRATIFYING PROPOSAL.

Dr. Hawkesley (my father) by receiving his son (myself) on
board the sloop, with the rating of midshipman. The sloop,
the letter went on to say, was commissioned for service on
the west coast of Africa; and if I decided to join her no
time should be lost in procuring my outfit, as the Daphne
was under orders to sail on the — ; just four days from the
date of the receipt of the letter.

" Well, Dick, what do you think of Captain Vernon's pro-
posal?" inquired my father somewhat sadly, as I concluded
my perusal of the letter and raised my eyes to his.

"Oh, father!" I exclaimed eagerly, "I hope you will con
sent to let me go. Perhaps I may never have another such
an opportunity ; and I am quite sure I shall never care to be
anything but a sailor."

" Ah ! yes — the old, old story," murmured my father, shak-
ing his head dubiously. "Thousands of lads have told their
fathers exactly the same thing, and have lived to bitterly
regret their choice of a profession. Look at my life. I have
to nm about in all weathers; to take my meals when and
how I can; there is not a single hour in the twenty -four that
I can call my own ; it is a rare thing for me to get a night of
undisturbed rest; it is a hard, anxious, harassing life that
I lead — ^you have often said so yourself, and urged it as one
of the reasons why you object to follow in my footsteps.
But I tell you, Dick, that my life — ay, or the life even of the
poorest country practitioner, for that matter — is one of ease
and luxury compared with that of a sailor. But I have said
all this to you over and over again, without convincing you ;
and I hardly dare hope that I shall be more successful now;
so, if you are really quite resolved to go to sea, I will offer no

A VISIT TO MR. SHEARS. 11

further objections. It is true that you will be going to an
unhealthy climate; but God is just as well able to preserve
you there as He is here; and then, again, you have a strong
healthy constitution, which, fortified with such preservative
medicines as I can supply, will, I hope, enable you to with-
stand the malaria and to return to us in safety. Now, what
do you say — are you still resolved to go?"

"Quite," I replied emphatically. "Now that you have
given your consent the last obstacle is removed, and I can
follow with a light heart the bent of my own inclinations."

" Very well, then," said my father, rising from the table
and pushing back his chair. " That question being settled,
we had better call upon Mr. Shears forthwith and give the
order for your uniform and outfit. There is no time to lose ;

and since go you wUl, I would very much rather you went

with Vernon than with anyone else."

The above conversation took place, as already stated, in
the breakfast-room of my father's house. My father was at
that time — as he continued to be until the day of his death

the leading physician in Portsmouth; and his house — a
substantial four-story building — stood near the top of the
High Street The establishment of Mr. Shears, "Army and
Navy Tailor, Clothier, and Outfitter," was situated near the
bottom of the same street, A walk, therefore, of some ten
minutes* duration took us to our destination; and at the
end of a further half-hour's anxious consultation I had been
measured for my uniform-^one suit of which was faithfully
promised for the next day — had chosen my sea-chest, and
had selected a complete outfit of such clothing as was to be
obtained ready-made. This important business concluded,

12 MY WILFUL WAY.

my father departed upon his daily round of visits, and I
had the remainder of the day at my own disposal.

My first act on emerging from the door of Mr. Shears'
establishment was to hasten off to the dockyard at top
speed to take another look at the Daphne, I had often seen
the craft before; had taken an interest in her, indeed, I
may say, from the moment that her keel was laid — she was
built in Portsmouth dockyard — and had watched her pro-
gress to completion and her recent launch with an admira-
tion which had steadily increased until it grew into positive
love. And now I was actually to have the happiness, the
hlisSy of going to sea in her as an officer on her first cruise.
Ecstatic thought ! I felt as though I was walking on air !

But my rapture received a pretty effectual damper when I
reflected — as 1 soon did — that my obstinate determination
to go to sea must certainly prove a deep disappointment, if
not a source of constant and cruel anxiety, to my father.
Dear old dad! his most cherished wish, as I knew full well,
had long been that I, his only son, might qualify myself to
take over and carry on the exceedingly snug practice he had
built up, when the pressure of increasing years should render
his retirement desirable. But the idea was so utterly dis-
tasteful to me that I had persistently turned a deaf ear to
all his arguments, persuasions, ay, and even his entreaties.
Unfortunately, perhaps, for the fulfilment of his desires, I
was born and brought up at Portsmouth ; and all my earh'est
recollections of amusement are, in some way or other, con-
nected with salt water. Swimming and boating early be-
came absolute passions with me; I was never quite happy
unless I happened to be either in or on the water; ihen^

AN IRREPARABLE LOSS. 13

indeed, all other pleasures were less than nothing to me.
As a natural consequence, I soon became the intimate com-
panion of every boatman in the harbour; I acquired, to a
considerable extent, their tastes and prejudices, and soon
mastered ail the nautical lore which it was in their power to
teach me. I could sail a boat before I could read; and by the
time that I had learned to write, was able to hand, reef, and
steer with the best of them. My conversation — except when
it was addressed to my father — was copiously interlarded
with nautical phrases; and by the time I had attained the
age of fourteen — at which period this history begins — I was
not only acquainted with the name, place, and use of every
rope and spar in a ship, but I had also an accurate know-
ledge of the various rigs, and a distinct opinion as to what

constituted a good model

The astute reader will have gathered from this confession
that I was, from my earliest childhood, left pretty much my
own master; and such was in fact the case. My mother
died in giving birth to my only sister Eva (two years my
junior); a misfortune which, in consequence of my father^s
absorption in the duties of his practice, left me entirely to
the care of the servants, by whom I was shamefully ne-
glected. But for this I should doubtless have been trained to
obedience and a respectful deference to my father's wishes.
The mischief, however, was done ; I had acquired a love of
the sea, and my highest ambition was to become a naval
ofl&cer. This fact my father at length reluctantly recognized,
and by persistent entreaty I finally prevailed upon him to
take the necessary steps to gratify my heart's desire — with
the result already known to the reader.

14 A REGULAR BBATTTy.

The sombre reflections induced by the thought of my
father's disappointment did not, I confess with shame, last
long. They vanished as a morning mist is dissipated before
the rising sun, when I recalled to miiid that I was not only
going to sea, but that I was actually going to sail in the
Dapkrie, This particular craft was my beanrideal of what a
ship ought to be ; and in this opinion I was by no means alone

r

all my cronies hailing from the Hard agreeing, without ex-
ception, that she was far and away the handsomest and most
perfect model they had ever seen. My admiration of her
was unbounded; and on the day of her launch — upon which
occasion I cheered myself hoarse — I felt, as I saw her gliding
swiftly and gracefully down the ways, that it would be a
priceless privilege to sail in her, even in the capacity of the
meanest ship-boy. And now I was to be a midshipman on
board herl

I hurried onward with swift and impatient steps, and
soon passed through the dockyard gates — having long ago,
by dint of persistent coaxing, gained the entrd to the sacred
precincts — when a walk of some four or five hundred yards
further took me to the berth alongside the wharf where she
was lying.

Well as I knew every curve and line of her beautiful hull,
my glances now dwelt upon her with tenfold loving interest.
She was a ship-sloop of 28 guns — long I8-pounders — with a
flush deck fore and aft She was very long in proportion
to her beam; low in the water, and her lines were as fine as
it had been possible to make them. She had a very light,
elegant-looking stern, adorned with a great deal of carved
scroll-work about the cabin windows; and her gracefully-

THE "DAPHNE." 15

curved cut-water was surmounted by an exquisitely-carved
fulMength figure of Peneus' lovely daughter, with both arms
outstretched, as in the act of flight, and with twigs and
leaves of laurel just springing from her dainty finger-tips.
There was a great deal of brass-work about the deck fittings,
which gleamed and flashed brilliantly in the sun ; and, the
|)aint being new and fresh, she looked altogether superlar
tively neat, in spite of the fact that the operations of
rigging and of shipping stores were both going on simul-
taneously.

Having satisfied for the time being my curiosity with
regard to the hull of my future home, I next cast a glance
aloft at her spars. She was rigged only as far as her top-
mast heads, her topgallant- masts being then on deck in

process of preparation for sending aloft. When I had last

seen her she was under the masting-shears getting her lower-
masts stepped; and it then struck me that they were fitting
her with rather heavy spars. But now, as I looked aloft, I
was fairly startled at the length and girth of her masts and
yards. To my eye — by no means an unaccustomed one
her spars seemed taunt enough for a ship of nearly double
her size; and the rigging was heavy in the same proportion.
I stood there on the wharf watching with the keenest
interest the scene of bustle and animation on board until
the bell rang the hour of noon, and all hands knocked oflF
work and went to dinner; by which time the three top-
gallant-masts were aloft with the rigging all ready for setting
up when the men tumed-to again. The addition of these
spars to the length of her already lofty maats gave the
Da'phne, in my opinion, more than ever the appearance of

16 BRIEF, BUT DISCOURAGING.

being over-sparred; an opinion in which, as it soon appeared,
I was not alona

Most of the men left the dockyard and went home (as I
suppose) to their dinner; but half a dozen or so of riggers,
instead of following the example of the others, routed out
from some obscure spot certain small bundles tied up in
coloured handkerchiefs, and, bringing these on shore, seated
themselves upon some of the boxes and casks with which
the wharf was lumbered, and, opening the bundles, produced
therefrom their dinners, which they proceeded to discuss
with quite an enviable appetite.

For a few minutes the meal proceeded in dead silence;
but presently one of them, glancing aloft at the Daphne's
spars, remarked in a tone of voice which reached me dis-
tinctly — I was standing within a few feet of the party:

nowt

addressed

The

more I looks at her the less I likes her," was his reply.

" I'm precious glad / ain't goin' to sea in her," observed
another.

"Same here," said the firat speaker. "Why, look at the
Siren over there! She's a 38-gun frigate, and her mainmast
is only two feet longer than the Daphne's — as I happen to
know, for I had a hand in the buildin' of both the spars.
The sloop's over-masted, that's what she is."

I turned away and bent my steps homeward. The short
snatch of conversation which I had just heard, confirming
as it did my own convictions, had a curiously depressing
effect upon me, which was increased when, a few minutes
afterwards, I caught a glimpse of the distant buoy which

(BflO)

A GOOD FIT. 17

marked the position of the sunken Royal George. For the
moment my enthusiasm was all gone; a foreboding of dis-
aster took possession of me, and but for very shame I felt
more than half inclined to tell my father I had altered my
mind, and would rather not go to sea. I had occasion
afterwards to devoutly wish I had acted on this impulse.

When, however, I was awakened next morning by the
sun shining brilliantly in at my bed -room window, my
apprehensions had vanished, my enthusiasm was again at
fever-heat, and I panted for the moment — not to be very

long deferred — when I should don my uniform and strut
forth to sport my glories before an admiring world.

Punctual almost to a moment — for once at least in his
hfe — Mr. Shears sent home the uniform whilst we were
sitting down to luncheon; and the moment that I decently

cotdd I hastened away to try it on.

The breeches were certainly rather wrinkly above the
knees, and the jacket was somewhat uncomfortably tight
across the chest when buttoned over; it also pinched me a
good deal under the armpits, whilst the sleeves exhibited a
trifle too much — some six inches or so — of my wristbands
and shirt-sleeves; and when I looked at myself in the glass
I found that there was a well-defined ridge of loose cloth
running across the back from shoulder to shoulder. "With
these trifling exceptions, however, I thought the suit fitted
me fairly well, and I hastened down-stairs to exhibit myself
to my sister Eva. To my intense surprise and indignation
she no sooner saw me than she burst into an uncontrollable
fit of laughter, and was heartless enough to declare that I
looked "a perfect fright" Thoroughly disgusted with such

(290) B

18 WHAT IS THE JOKE?

unsisterly conduct I mustered all my dignity, and without
condescending to ask for an explanation walked in con-
temptuous silence out of the room and the house.

A regimental band was to play that afternoon on Southsea
Common, and thither I accordingly decided to direct my
steps. There were a good many people about the streets,
and I had not gone very far before I made the discovery that
everybody was in high good -humour about something or
other. The people I met wore, almost without exception,
genial smiling countenances, and many a peal of hearty
laughter rang out from hilarious groups who had already
passed me. I felt anxious to know what it was that thus
set all Portsmouth laughing, and glanced round to see if I
could discover an acquaintance of whom I might inquire ;
but, as usual in such cases, was unsuccessful When I
reached the Common I found, as I expected I should, a large
and fashionably dressed crowd, with a good sprinkling of
naval and military uniforms, listening to the strains of the
band. Here, for the first five minutes or so, I failed to
notice anything unusual in the behaviour of the people; but
the humorous item of news must have reached them almost
simultaneously with my own arrival upon the scene, for
very soon I detected on the faces of those who passed me
the same amused smile which I had before encountered in
the streets. I stood well back out of the thick of the crowd;
both because I could hear the music better, and also to afford
any friend of mine who might chance to be present an
opportunity to see me in my imposing new uniform.

It was whilst I was standing thus in the most easy and
nonchalant attitude I could assume that a horrible discovery

UNPARDONABLE IMPERTINENCE. 19

forced itself upon me. I happened to be regarding with a
certain amount of languid interest a couple of promenaders,
consisting of a very lovely girl and a somewhat foppish en-
sign, when I suddenly caught the eye of the latter fixed
upon me. He raised his eye-glass to his eye, and, in the
coolest manner in the world, deliberately surveyed me
through it, when, in an instant, a broad smile of amusement

■the smile which I by this time knew so well — overspread
his otherwise inanimate features. I glanced hurriedly be-
hind me to see if I could discover the cause of his risibility,
and, failing to do so, turned round again, just in time to see
him, with his eye-glass still bearing straight in my direction,
bend his head and speak a few words to his fair companion.
Thereupon she, too, glanced in my direction, looked stead-
fastly at me for a moment, and then burst into an uncon-
trollable fit of laughter which she vainly strove to stifle in
her pocket-handkerchief. For a second or two I was utterly
lost in astonishment at this unaccountable behaAdour, and
then all the hideous truth thrust itself upon me. They were
laughing at me. Having at length fully realized this I
turned haughtily away and at once left the ground.

I hurried homeward in a most unenviable state of mind,
with the conviction every moment forcing itself more obtru-
sively upon me, that for some inconceivable reason I was
the laughing-stock of everybody I met, when, just as I
turned once more into the High Street I observed two mid-
shipmen approaching on my own side of the way, and some
half a dozen yards or so behind them a certain Miss Smith,
a parlour boarder in the ladies' seminary opposite my
father's house — a damsel not more than six or seven years

20 A GRATIFYING MISTAKE.

my senior, with whom I was slightly acquainted, and for
whom I had long cherished a secret but ardent passion.

With that sensitiveness which is so promptly evoked by
even the bare suspicion of ridicule I furtively watched the
two "young gentlemen" as they approached; but they had
been talking and laughing loudly when I first caught sight
of them, and although I saw that they were aware of my
presence I failed to detect the sudden change of manner
which I had dreaded to observe. Whether they were
speaking of me or not I could not, of course, feel certain;
but I rather fancied from the glances they cast^ in my direc-
tion that they were.

As they drew nearer I observed that the eyes of one of
them were intently and inquiringly gazing into mine, and
they continued so to do until the pair had fairly passed me.
Being by this time in a decidedly aggressive frame of mind
I returned this pertinacious gaze with a haughty and con-
temptuous stare, which, however, I must confess, did not
appear to very greatly intimidate the individual at whom it
was levelled, for, unless I was greatly mistaken, there was a
twitching about the comers of his mouth which suggested
a strong, indeed an almost uncontrollable disposition to
laughter, whilst his eyes fairly beamed with merriment.
As they passed me this individual half halted for an in-

r

stant, passed on again a step or two, and then turning
abruptly to the right-about, dashed after me and seized me
by the hand, which he shook effusively, exclaiming as he
did so:

"It is — I'm sure it is ! My dear Lord Henry, how are you 1
This is indeed an unexpected pleasure ! "

FITZ- JONES. 21

At this moment Miss Smith passed, giving me as she did
so a little start of recognition, followed by a bow and a beam-
ing smOe, which I returned in my most fascinating manner.

I was once more happy. This little incident, trifling
though it was in itself, sufficed to banish in an instant the
unpleasant reflections which a moment before had been rank-
ling in my breast, for had not my fair divinity seen me in
the uniform of the gallant defenders of our country? And
had she not also heard and seen me mistaken for a lord ?
If this had no power to soften and subdue that proud heart
and bring it in sweet humility to my feet, then — well I
should like to know what would, that's all.

I allowed my fair enslaver to pass out of ear-shot, and
then said to the midshipman who had so unexpectedly

addressed me :

" Excuse me, sir, but I think you are mistaking me for
someone else."

"Oh, no, Fm not," he retorted. "I know you well
enough — though I must say you are greatly altered for the
better since I saw you last a year ago. You're Lord Henry
de Vere Montmorenci. Ah, you sly dog! you thought to
play a trick upon your old friend Fitz- Jones, did you? But
what brings you down here, Montmorenci t Have you come
down to join?"

This was a most remarkable, and at the same time grati-
fying occurrence, for I could not keep feeling elated at being
thus mistaken for a noble, and greeted with such enthusiasm
by a most agreeable and intelligent brother officer, and
evidently — a scion of some noble house to boot For a
single instant an almost invincible temptation seized me to

22 FITZ-JONES IS GREATLY ASTONISHED.

personate the character with which I was accredited, but it
was as promptly overcome; my respect for the truth (tem-
porarily) conquered my vanity, and I answered :

"I assure you, my dear sir, you are mistaken. I am
not Lord Henry de Vere Montmorenci, but plain Richard
Hawkesley, just nominated to the Daphne"

" Well, if you persist in saying so, I suppose I must be-
lieve you," answered Fitz-Jones. "But, really, the resem-
blance is most extraordinary — truly remarkable indeed.
There is the same lofty intellectual forehead, the same proud
eagle-glance, the same haughty carriage; the same — now,
tell me. Tomnoddy, upon your honour as an officer and a
gentleman, did you ever in your life before see such an ex-
traordinary resemblance?"

" I never did; it is really most remarkable," answered the
other midshipman in a strangely quivering voice which, but
for his solemn countenance, I should have considered de-
cidedly indicative of suppressed laughter.

" It really is most singular, positively marvelloics" resumed
Fitz-Jones. Then he added hurriedly ;

"By the way, do you know my friend Tomnoddy 1 No!
Then allow me to introduce him. Lord Tomnoddy — Mr.
Richard Hawkesley, just nominated to the Daphne, And I
suppose I ought also to introduce myself. I am Lord Mon-
tague Fitz-Jones. You have, of course, heard of the Fitz-
Jones family — the Fitz-J-o-h-n-e-s's, you know 1 "

I certainly had not; nor had I, up to that moment, any
idea that Lord Tomnoddy was other than a mythical per-
sonage ; but I did not choose to parade my ignorance in such
matters, so I replied by a polite bow

A STARTLING ANNOUNCEMENT. 23

There was silence between us for a moment; and then
Fitz-Jones — or Fitz-Johnes, rather — raised his hand to his
forehead with a thoughtful air and murmured :

" Hawkesley 1 Hawkesley I I'm positive I Ve heard that
name before. Now, where was iti Um-ah-eh? Yes; I

have it. You're the handsome heartless fellow who played
such havoc with my cousin Lady Mary's affections at the
state ball last year. Now, don't deny it; I'm positive I'm
right. Do you know," he continued, glaring at me in a most
ferocious manner — " do you know that for the last six
months I've been looking for you in order that I might shoot
you]"

Somehow I did not feel very greatly alarmed at this
belligerent speech, and vanity having by this time conquered

my natural truthfulness, I determined to sustain my un-
expected reputation as a lady-killer at all hazards. I there-
fore drew myself up, and, assuming my sternest look, replied
that I should be happy to give him the desired opportunity
whenever he might choose.

Fitz-Johnes' ferocious glare continued for a moment or
two; then his brow cleared, and, extending his hand, he
grasped mine, shook the member violently, and exclaimed :

"That was spoken like a gentleman and a brave man!
Give me your hand, Hawkesley. I respect you, sir ; I esteem
you; and I forgive you all. If there is one thing which
touches me more than another, one thing which I admire
more than another, it is to see a man show a bold front in
the face of deadly peril. Ah ! now I can understand Lady
Mary's infatuation. Poor girl ! I pity her. And I suppose
that pretty girl who passed just now is another victim to

24 TOO TENPER-HEARTED EOR A SAILOR.

your fascinating powers. Ah, well ! it's not to be wondered
at, I*m snre. Tomnoddy, do you remember, by the by — V

But Lord Tomnoddy was now standing with his back
turned toward us, and his face buried in his pocket-handker-
chief. His head was bowed, his shoulders were heaving
convulsively, and certain inarticulate sounds which escaped
him showed that he was struggling to suppress some violent
emotion.

Lord Fitz-Johnes regarded his companion fixedly for a
moment, then linked his arm in mine, drew me aside, and
whispered hastily :

" Don't take any notice of him ; he'll be all right again in
a minute. It's only a little revulsion of feeling which has
overcome him. He's frightfully tender-hearted — far too
much so for a sailor; he can't bear the sight of blood; and
he knew that if I called you out I should choose him for
my second ; and — you twig, eh 1 "

I thought I did, but was not quite sure, so I bowed again,
which seemed quite as satisfactory as words to Fitz-Johnes,
for he said, with his arm still linked in mine :

"That's all right. Now let's go and cement our friend
ship over a bottle of wine at the *Blue Posts;' what do
you Bay ? "

I intimated that the proposal was quite agreeable to me ;
and we accordingly wheeled about and directed our steps to
the inn in question, which, in my time, was the place of resort,
pa/r excellencef of all midshipmen.

Lord Tomnoddy now removed his handkerchief from his
eyes; and, sure enough, he had been weeping, for I detected
him in the very act of drying his tears. He must have pos-

LORDLY HOSPITALITY, 26

sessed a truly wonderful command over his features, though,
for I could not detect the faintest trace of that deep feeling
which had overpowered him so shortly before; on the con-
trary, he laughed uproariously at a very feeble joke which
I just then ventured to let off; and thereafter, until I parted
with them both an hour later, was the merriest of the
party.

We arrived in due course at the " Blue Posts," and, walk-
ing into a private parlour, rang for the waiter. On the ap-
pearance of that individual, Fitz-Johnes, with a truly lordly
air, ordered in three bottles of port; sagely remarking that
he made a point of never drinking less than a bottle himself;
and as his friend Hawkesley was kitown to have laid down
the same rule, the third bottle was a necessity unless Lord

Tonmoddy was to go without Lord Tomnoddy faintly

protested against the ordering of so much wine; but Fit«-
Johnes was firm in his determination, insisting that he should
regard it as nothing short of a deliberate insult on Tom-
noddy's part if that individual declined his hospitality.

After a considerable delay the wine and glasses made their
appearance, the waiter setting them down, and then pausing
respectfully by the table.

"Thank you; that will do. You need not wait," said
Fitz-Johnes.

" The money, if you please, sir," explained the waiter,

" Oh, ah ! yes, to be sure. The money." And Fitz-Johnes
plunged his hand into his breeches pocket and withdrew
therefrom the sum of twopence halfpenny, together with
half a dozen buttons (assorted) ; a penknife minus its blades;
the bowl of a clay tobacco pipe broken short off; three pieces

26 FITZ-JOHNES' NOBLE RESOLVE,

of pipe-stem evidently originally belonging to the latter; and
a small ball of sewing twine.

Carefully arranging the copper coins on the edge of the
table he returned the remaining articles to their original
place of deposit, and then plunged his hand into his other
pocket, from which he produced — nothing.

" How much is iti" he inquired, glancing at the waiter.

"Fifteen shillings, if you please, sir," was the reply.

" Lend me a sovereign, there's a good fellow ; I've left my

purse in my other pocket," he exclaimed to Lord Tomnoddy.

" I would with pleasure, old fellow, if I had it. But, un-
fortunately, I haven't a farthing about me."

Thereupon the waiter proceeded deliberately to gather up
the glasses again, and was about to take them and the wine
away, when I interposed with a proposal to pay.

"No," said Fitz-Johnes fiercely; "I won't hear of it; I'll
perish at the stake first But if you really don't mind lend-
ing me a sovereign imtil to-morrow — "

I said I should be most happy ; and forthwith produced
the coin, which Fitz-Johnes, having received it, flung dis-
dainfully down upon the table with the exclamation :

" There, caitiff, is the lucre. Now, avaunt I begone I Thy
bones are marrowless ; and you have not a particle of specu-
lation about you."

The waiter, quite unmoved, took up the sovereign, laid
down the change — which Fitz-Johnes promptly pocketed-
and retired from the room, leaving us to discuss our wine
in peace ; which we did, I taking three glasses, and my com-
panions disposing of the remainder.

Fitz-Johnes now became very communicative on the sub-

A FORTUNATE ACCIDENT. 27

ject of his cousin Lady Mary; and finally the recollection
came to him suddenly that she had sent him her miniature
only a day or two before. This he proposed to show me, in
order that I might pronounce an opinion as to the correct-
ness of the likeness; but on instituting a search for it, he
discovered — much to my relief, I must confess — that he had
left it, with his purse, in the pocket of his other jacket.

The wine at length finished, we parted company at the
door of the "Blue Posts;" I shaping a course homeward,
and my new friends heading in the direction of the Hard,
their uproarious laughter reaching my ear for some time
after they had passed out of sight.

CHAPTER IL

I QUIT THE PATERNAL KOOF,

N reaching home I found that my father had
preceded me by a few minutes only, and was
to be found in the surgery. Thither, accor-
dingly, I hastened to give him an opportunity

of seeing me in my new rig.

"Good Heavens, boyl" he exclaimed when he had taken
in all the details of my appearance, " do you mean to say
that you have presented yourself in public in that extra-
ordinary guise?"

I respectfully intimated that I had, and that, moreover,
I failed to observe anything at all extraordinary in my ap-
pearance.

*' Well," observed he, bursting into a fit of hearty laughter,
notwithstanding his evident annoyance, " you may not have
noticed it; but 111 warrant that everybody else has. Why,
I should not have been surprised to hear that you had found
yourself the laughing-stock of the town. Run away, Dick,
and change your clothes at once; Shears must see those
things and endeavour to alter them somehow; you can never
wear them as they are."

28

A MISERABLE MORNING. 29

I slunk away to ray room in a dreadfully depressed state
of mind. Was it possible that what my father had said was
true? A sickening suspicion seized me that it was; and that
I had at last found an explanation of the universal laughter
which had seemed to accompany me everjrwhere in my wan-
derings that wretched afternoon.

I wrapped up the now hated uniform in the brown paper
which had encased it when it came from Shears ; and my
father and I were about to sally forth with it upon a wrath-
ful visit to the erring Shears, when a breathless messenger
from him arrived with another parcel, and a note of ex-
planation and apology, to the eflPect that by some unfortunate
blunder the wrong suit had been sent home, and Mr. Shears
would feel greatly obliged if we would return it per bearer.

The man, upon this, was invited inside and requested
to wait whilst I tried on the rightful suit, which was found to
fit excellently ; and I could not avoid laughing rather ruefully
as I looked in the glass and contrasted my then appearance
with that which I remembered it to have been in the earlier
part of the day. Later on, that same evening, my sea-chest
and the remainder of my outfit arrived ; and I was ready to
join, as had been already arranged, on the following day.

The eventful morning at length arrived; and with my
enthusiasm considerably cooled by a night of sleepless ex-
citement and the unpleasant consciousness that I was about,
in an hour or two more, to bid a long farewell to home and
all who loved me, I descended to the breakfast-room. My
father was already there ; but Eva did not come down until
the last moment; and when she made her appearance it was
evident that she had very recently been weeping. The dear

30 MY LAST MEAL AT HOME.

girl kissed me silently with quivering lips, and we sat down
to breakfast My father made two or three efforts to start
something in the shape of a conversation, but it was no
good ; the dear old gentleman was himself manifestly ill at
ease ; Eva could not speak a word for sobbing ; and as for
me, I was as unable to utter a word as I was to swallow my
food — a great lump had gathered in my throat, which not
only made it sore but also threatened to choke me, and it
was with the utmost difficulty that I avoided bursting into
a passion of tears. None of us ate anything, and at length
the wretched apology for a meal was brought to a conclusion,
my father read a chapter from the Bible, and we knelt down
to prayers. I will not attempt to repeat here the words of
his supplication. Suffice it to say that they went straight to
my heart and lodged there, their remembrance encompassing
me about as with a seven-fold defence in many a future hour
of trial and temptation.

On rising from his knees my father invited me to accom-
pany him to his consulting-room, and on arriving there he
nanded me a chair, seated himself directly in front of me,
and said;

"Now, my dear boy, before you leave the roof which has
sheltered you from your infancy, and go forth to literally
fight your own way through the world, there is just a word
or two of caution and advice which I wish to say. You are
about to embark in a profession of your own deliberate choice,
and whilst that profession is of so honourable a character
that all who wear its imiform are unquestioningly accepted
as gentlemen, it is also one which, from its very nature,
exposes its followers to many and great temptations. I will

WORDS FITLY CHOSEN. 31

not enlarge upon these ; you are now old enough to under-
stand the nature of many of them, and those •which you may
not at present know anything about will be readily recogniz-
able as such when they present themselves ; and a few simple
rules will, I trust, enable you to overcome them. The first
rule which I wish you to take for your guidance through life,
my son, is this. Never be ashamed to honour your Maker.
Let neither false pride, nor the gibes of your companions, nor
indeed any influence whatever, constrain you to deny Him
or your dependence upon Him; never take His name in vain,
nor countenance by your continued presence any such thing
in others. Bear in mind the fact that He who holds the
ocean in the hollow of His hand is also the Guide, the Helper,
and the defender of 'those who go down into the sea in

ships / and make it an unfailing practice to seek His help

and protection every day of your life.

"Never allow yourself to contract the habit of swearing
Many men — and, because of their pernicious example, many
boys too — habitually garnish their conversation with oaths,
profanity, and obscenity of the vilest description. It may
be — though I earnestly hope and pray it will not — that a
bad example in this respect will be set you by even your
superior officers. If such should unhappily be the case,
think of this, our parting moments, and of my parting
advice to you, and never suffer yourself to be led away by
such example. In the first place it is wrong — it is distinctly
sinfid to indulge in such language; and in the next place, to
take much lower ground, it is vulgar, ungentlemanly, and
altogether in the very worst possible taste. It is not even
mandy to do so, though many lads appear to think it so;

32 HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN.

there is nothing manly, or noble, or dignified in the utter-
ance of words which inspire in the hearers — unless they
be the lowest of the low — nothing save the most extreme
disgust. If you are ambitious to be classed among the vilest
and most ruffianly of your species, use such language; but if
your ambition soars higher than this, avoid it as you would
the pestilence.

"Be always strictly truthful There are two principal
incentives to falsehood — vanity and fear. Never seek self-
glorification by a falsehood If fame is not to be won
legitimately, do without it; and never seek to screen your-
self by a falsehood — this is mean and cowardly in the last
degrea 'To err is human;' we are all liable to make
mistakes sometimes; such a person as an infallible man,
woman, or child has never yet existed, and never will exist.
Therefore, if you make a mistake, have the courage to
manfully acknowledge it and take the consequences; I will
answer for it that they will not be very dreadful, A fault
confessed is half atoned. And, apart from the morality of
the thing, let me tell you that a reputation for truthfulness
is a priceless possession to a man; it makes his services
doubly valuable.

"Be careful that you are always strictly honest, honourable,
and upright in your dealings with others. Never let your
reputation in this respect be sullied by so much as a breath.
And bear this in mind, my boy, it is not sufficient that you
should he all this, you must also seem it, that is to say you
must keep yourself far beyond the reach of even the barest
suspicion. Many a man who, by carelessness or inexperience,
has placed himself in a questionable position, has been

A MUCH-NEEDED CAUTION. 33

obliged to pay the penalty of his want of caution by carrying
about with him, to the end of his life, the burden of a false
and undeserved suspicion-

"And now there is only one thing more I wish to caution
you against, and that is vanity. It is a failing which is only
too plainly perceptible in most boys of your age, and — do
not be angry, Dick, if I touch the sore spot with a heavy
hand; it is for your own good that I do it — you have it in a
very marked degree. Like most of your compeers you think
that, having passed your fourteenth birth-day, you are now
a man, and in many points I notice that you have already
begun to ape the ways of men. Don't do it, Dick. Man-
hood comes not so early; and of all disagreeable and
objectionable characters, save me, I pray you, from a boy

who mistakes himself for a man. Manhood, with its count-
less cares and responsibilities, will come soon enough ; whilst
you are a boy be a boy ; or, if you insist on being a man before
your time, cultivate those attributes which are characteristic
of true manhood, such as fearless truth, scrupulous honour,
dauntless courage, and so on; but don^iy for Heaven's sake,
adopt the follies and vices of men. As I have said, Dick,
vanity is certainly your great weakness, and I want you to
be especially on your guard against it. It will tempt you to
tamper with the truth, even if it does no worse " ( I thought
involuntarily of Lady Mary and my tacit admission of the
justice of Lord Fitz-Johnes' impeachment of me with regard
to her), " and it is quite possible that it may lead you into a
serious scrape.

"Now, Dick, my boy — my dear son — I have said to you
all that I think, even in the slightest degree, necessary by

(290) C

34 THE SORROW OF PARTING.

way of caution and advice. I can only affectionately entreat
you to remember and ponder upon my words, and pray God
to lead you to a right understanding of them.

"And now," he added, rising from his seat, **I think it is
time you were on the move. Go and wish Eva good-bye,
and then I will drive you down to the Hard — I see Edwards
has brought round the carriage."

I hurried away to the drawing-room, where I knew I
should find my sister, and, opening the door gently, an-
nounced that I had come to say good-bye. The dear girl,

upon hearing my voice, rose up from the sofa, in the cushion
of which she had been hiding her tear-stained face, and came

with unsteady steps toward me. Then, as I looked into
her eyes — heavy with the mental agony from which she was
suffering, and which she bravely strove to hide for my sake

I realized, for the first time in my life, all the horror which
lurks in that dreadful word "Farewell" Meaning originally
a benediction, it has become by usage the word with which
we cut ourselves asunder from all that is nearest and dearest
to us; it is the signal for parting; the last word we address
to our loved ones; the fatal spell at which they lingeringly
and unwillingly withdraw from our clinging embrace; the
utterance at which the hand-clasp of friendship or of love is
loosed, and we are torn apart never perhaps again to meet
until time shall be no more.

My poor sister I It was pitiful to witness her intense
distress. This was our first parting. Never before had we
been separated for more than an hour or two at a time, and,
there being only the two of us, our mutual affection had
steadily, though imperceptibly, grown and strengthened

A BRIEF BUT PAINFUL JOURNEY. 35

from year to year until now, when to say "good-bye" seemed
like the rending of our heart-strings asunder.

It had to be said, however, and it was said at last — God
knows how, for mj recollection of our parting moments is
nothing more than that of a brief period of acute mental
suifering — and then, placing my half-swooning sister upon
the couch and pressing a last lingering kiss on her icy-cold
lips, I rushed from the room and the house.

My father had already taken his seat in the carriage; my
luggage was piled up on the front seat alongside the driver,
and nothing therefore remained but for me to jump in,
slam-to the door, and we were ofiF.

It seemed equally impossible to my father and to myself
to utter a single word during that short — though, in our
then condition of acute mental tension, all too long — drive
to the Hard; we sat therefore dumbly side by side, with our
hands clasped, until the carriage drew up, when I sprang
out, hastily hailed a boatman, and then at once began with
feverish haste to drag my belongings off the carriage down
into the road. I had still to say good-bye to my father,
and I felt that I must shorten the time as much as possible,
that ten minutes more of such mental torture would drive
me mad.

The boatman quickly shouldered my chest, and, gathering

up the remainder of my belongings in his disengaged hand,

discreetly trotted off to the wherry, which he unmoored and
drew alongside the slipway.

Then I turned to my father, and, with the obtrusive lump
in my throat by this time grown so inconveniently large
that I could scarcely articulate, held out my hand to hinu

36 GOOD-BYE, FATHER I

"Good-bye, father! " I stammered out huskily.

"Good-bye, Dick, my son, my own dear boy!" he returned,
not less affected than myself. "Good-bye ! May God bless
and keep you, and in His own good time bring you in health
and safety back to us ! Amen."

A quick convulsive hand-clasp, a last hungry glance into
the loving face and the sorrow-dimmed eyes which looked
so longingly down into mine, and with a hardly-suppressed
cry of anguish I tore myself away, staggered blindly down
the slipway, tumbled into the boat, and, as gruffly as I could
under the circumstances, ordered the boatman to put me on
board the Daphne,

CHAPTER IIL

THE TRUTH ABOUT FITZ-JOHNES.

HERE are we going, Tom ? " I asked, as the
boatman, an old chum of mine, proceeded to
step the boat's mast. "You surely don't
need the sail for a run half-way across the

harbour f*

"No," he answered; **no, I don't. But we're bound out
to Spithead. The Daphiie went out this mornin' at daylight
to take in her powder, and I 'spects she's got half of it
stowed away by this time. Look out for your head, Mr.
Dick, sir, we shall jibe in a minute."

I ducked my head just in time to save my glazed hat

from being knocked overboard by the jibing mainsail of the

boat, and then drew out my handkerchief and waved another

farewell to my father, whose fast-diminishing figure I could

still make out standing motionless on the shore, with his

hand shading his eyes as he watched the rapidly moving

boat. He waved back in answer, and then the intervening

hull of a ship hid him from my view, and I saw him no more

for many a long day.

" Ah. it's a sorry business that, partin' with friends and

ar

38 I AM PUT "tJP TO A FEW MOVES."

kinsfolk when you're outward bound on a long cruise that
you can't see the end of 1" commented my old friend Tom;
" but keep up a good heart, Mr. Dick; it'll all be made up to
yer when you comes home again by and by loaded down to
the scuppers with glory and prize-money."

I replied somewhat drearily that I supposed it would ; and
then Tom — anxious in his rough kindliness of heart to dispel
my depression of spirits and prepare me to present myself
among my new shipmates in a suitably cheerful frame of
mind — adroitly changed the subject and proceeded to put
me " up to a few moves," as he expressed it, Hkely to prove
useful to me in the new life upon which I was about to enter.

"And be sure, Mr. Dick," he concluded, as we shot along-
side the sloop, " be sure you remember always to touch your
hat when you steps in upon the quarter-deck of a man-o'-
war, no matter whether 'tis your own ship or a stranger."

Paying the old fellow his fare, and parting with him with
a hearty shake of the hand, I sprang up the ship's side, and
remembering Tom's parting caution just in the nick of time

presenting myself in due form upon the quarter-deck,
where the first lieutenant had posted himself and from which
he was directing the multitudinous operations then in pro-
gress, reported myself to that much-dreaded official as "come
on board to join."

He was a rather tall and decidedly handsome man, with
a gentlemanly bearing and a well-knit shapely-looking figure,
dark hair and eyes, thick bushy whiskers meeting under
the chin, and a clear strong melodious voice, which, without
the aid of a speaking-trumpet, he made distinctly heard from
one end of the ship to the other. As he stood there, in an

I INTRODUCE MYSELF TO THE FIRST "LUFF. 39

easy attitude with his hands lightly clasped behind his back
and his eye taking in, as it seemed at a glance, everything
that was going forward, he struck me as the beau-ideal of a
naval oflBcer. I took a strong liking to him on the spot, an
instinctive prepossession which was afterwards abundantly
justified, for Mr. Austin — that was his name — ^proved to be
one of the best officers it has ever been my good fortune to
serve under.

"Oh, you're come on board to join, ehl" he remarked in
response to my announcement. " I suppose you are the
young gentleman about whom Captain Vernon was speaking
to me yesterday. What is your name?"

I told him.

"Ahl Hawkesleyl yes, that is the name, I remember
now. Captain Vernon told me that although you have never
been to sea as yet you are not altogether a greenhorn. What
can you do?"

" I can hand, reef, and steer, box the compass, pull an oar,
or sail a boat; and I know the name and place of every spar,
sail, and rope throughout the ship."

" Aha ! say you so ? Then you will prove indeed a valu-
able acquisition. What is the name of this ropel"

" The main -topgallant clewline," I answered, casting my
eye aloft to note the "lead" of the rope.

"Eight!" he replied with a smile. "And you have the
true nautical pronunciation also, I perceive. Mr. Johnson "

to a master's mate who happened to be passing at the
moment — " this is Mr. Hawkesley. Kindly take him under
your wing and induct him into his quarters in the midship-
men's berth, if you please. Don't stop to stow away your

40 COMFORTABLE QUARtERS.

things just now, Mr. Hawkesley," he continued. " I shall
have an errand for you in a few minutes."

"Very well, sir," I replied. And following my new
acquaintance, I first saw to the hoisting in of my traps, and
then with them descended to the place which was to be my
home for so many months to come.

This was a tolerably roomy but very indifferently lighted
cabin on the lower or orlop deck, access to which was gained
by the descent of a very steep ladder. The furniture was of
the most meagre description, consisting only of a very solid
deal table, two equally solid forms or stools, and a couple of
arm-chairs, one at each end of the table, all securely lashed
down to the deck. There was a shelf with a ledge along its
front edge, and divisions to form lockers, extending across
the after-end of the berth; and under this hung three small
book-cases (which I was given to understand were private
property) and a mirror six inches long by four inches wide,
before which the "young gentlemen" — four in number, in-
cluding myself — and the two master^s mates had to perform
their toilets as best they could. The fore and after bulkheads
of the apartment were furnished with stout hooks to which
to suspend our hammocks, which, by the by, when slung,
left, I noticed, but a very small space on either side of the
table; and depending from a beam overhead there hung a
common horn lantern containing the most attenuated candle
I ever saw — a veritable "purser's dip." This lantern, which
was suspended over the centre of the table, afforded, except
at meal-times or other special occasions, the sole illumination
of the place. Although the ship was new, and the berth had
only been occupied a few days, it was already pervaded by

ON IMPORTANT DUTY. 41

a very powerful odour of paint and stale tobacco-smoke,

which made me anxious to quit the place with the least

possible delay.

Merely selecting a position, therefore, for my chest, and

leaving to the wretched lad, whom adverse fortune had made

the attendant of the place, the task of lashing it down, I

hastened on deck again, and presenting myself once more

before the first lieutenant, announced that I was now ready

to execute any commission with which he might be pleased
to intrust me.

" Very well," said he. " I want you to take the gig and
proceed on board the Si George with this letter for the first
lieutenant of that ship. "Wait for an answer, and if he gives
you a parcel be very careful how you handle it, as it will
contain articles of a very fragile character which must on no
account be damaged or broken."

The gig was thereupon piped away, and when she was
in the water and her crew in her I proceeded in my most
stately manner down the side and flung myself in an easily
negligent attitude into the stem-sheets.

I felt at that moment exceedingly well satisfied with my-
self. I had joined the ship but a bare half-hour before; yet
here I was, singled out from the rest of the midshipmen as
the fittest person to be intrusted with an evidently important
mission. I forgot not only my father's caution against
vanity but also my sorrow at parting with him; my amour
propre rose triumphant above every other feeling; the dis-
agreeable lump in my throat subsided, and with an uncon-
scious, but no doubt very ludicrous, assumption of conde-
scending authority, I gave the order

42 I BEGIN TO PUT ON AIRS.

"Shove off, and get the muslin upon her, and see that you
crack on, coxswain, for I am in a hurry."

" Ay, ay, sir," returned that functionary in a very respect-
ful tone of voice. " Step the mast, fo^Wdi^the^e, you sea-
dogs, 'and get the muslin on her.'"

With a broad grin, whether at the verbatim repetition of
my order, or in consequence of some pantomimic gesture
on the part of the coxswain, who was behind me — I had a
sudden painful suspicion that it might possibly be both — the
men sprang to obey the order; and in another instant the
mast was stepped, the halliard and tack hooked on, the sheet
led aft, and the sail was all ready for hoisting.

"What d!ye say, Tom; shall us take down a reef I" asked
one of the men.

"Reef? No, certingly not Didn't you hear the gentle-
man say as how we was to ' crack on' because he's in a
hurry] Give her whole canvas," replied the coxswain.

With a shivering flutter and a sudden violent jerk the sail
was run up; and, careening gunwale-to, away dashed the
lively boat toward the harbour.

It was blowing fresh and squally from the eastward, and
for the first mile of our course there was a nasty choppy sea
for a boat The men flung their oil-skins over their shoul-
ders, and ranging themselves along the weather side of the
boat, seated themselves on the bottom-boards, and away we
went, jerk-jerking through it, the sea hissing and foaming
past us to leeward, and the spray flying in a continuous
heavy shower in over the weather-bow and right aft, drench-
ing me through and through in less than five minutes.

" I*m afeard you're gettin' rayther wet, sir," remarked the

OH, THAT COXSWAIN 1 43

coxswain feelingly when I had just about arrived at a con-
dition of complete saturation; "perhaps you'd better have
my oil-skin, sir."

"No, thanks," I replied, "I am very comfortable as I
am."

This was, to put it mildly, a perversion of the truth. I
was noi very comfortable; I was wet to the skin, and my
bran-new uniform, upon which I so greatly prided myself,
was just about ruined. But it was then too late for the oil-
skin to be of the slightest benefit to me; and, moreover, I
did not choose that those men should think I cared for so
trifling a matter as a wetting.

But a certain scarcely-perceptible ironical inflection in the
coxswain's voice, when he so kindly ofiered me the use of

his jumper, suggested the suspicion that perhaps he was
quietly amusing himself and his shipmates at mj expense,
and that the drenching I had received was due more to his
management of the boat than anything else, so I set myself
quietly to watch.

I soon saw that my suspicion was well-founded. The
rascal, instead of easing the boat and meeting the heavier

seas as he ought to have done, was sailing the craft at top-
speed right through them, varying the performance occasion-
ally by keeping the boat broad away when a squall struck
her, causing her to careen until her gunwale went under,
and as a natural consequence shipping a great deal of water.
At length he rather overdid it, a squall striking the boat
so heavily that before he could lufiF and shake the wind out
of the sail she had filled to the thwarts. I thought for a
moment that we were over, and so did the crew of the boat,

44 BROITOHT TO SIS BEARINGS.

who jumped to their feet in consternation. Being an excel-
lent swimmer myself, however, I managed to perfectly
retain my sang-froid, whilst I also recognized in the mishap
an opportunity to take the coxswain down a peg or two.

Lifting my legs, therefore, coolly up on the side seat out
of reach of the water, I said :

"How long have you been a sailor, coxswain 1"

" Nigh on to seven year, sir. Now then, lads, dowse the
sail smartly and get to work with the bucket."

"Seven years, have you?" I returned placidly. "Then
you ought to know how to sail a boat by this time. I have
never yet been to sea; but I should be ashamed to make
such a mess of it as this."

To this my friend in the rear vouchsafed not a word in
reply, but from that moment I noticed a difference in the
behaviour of the men all round. They found they had not
got quite the greenhorn to deal with that they had first
imagined.

When at last the boat was freed of the water and sail
once more made upon her, I remarked to the coxswain :

"Now, Tom — if that is your name — you have amused
yourself and your shipmates at my expense — to your heart's
content, I hope — you have played off your little practical
joke upon me, and I bear no malice. But — let there be no
more of it — do you understand?"

"Ay ay, sir; I underconstumbles," was the reply; "and
I'm right sorry now as I did it, sir, and I axes your parding,
sir; that I do. Dash my buttons, though, but you're a rare
plucky yoimg gentleman, you are, sir, though I says it to
your face. And I hopes, sir, as how you won't bear no

THE IRREPRESSIBLE FITZ-JOHNES. 46

malice again' me for just tryin' a bit to see what sort o' stuff
you was made of, as it were 1 "

I eased the poor fellow's mind upon this point, and soon
afterwards we arrived alongside the SL George,

I found the first lieutenant, and duly handed over my

despatch, which he read with a curious twitching about the

corners of the moutL
Having mastered the contents, he retired below, asking

me to wait a minute or two.

At that moment my attention was attracted to a midship-
man in the main rigging, who, with exaggerated delibera-
tion, was making his unwilling way aloft to the mast-head
as it turned out. A certain familiar something about the
young gentleman caused me to look up at him more atten-
tively; and I then at once recognized my recent acquaint-
ance, Lord Fitz-Johnes. At the same moment the second
lieutenant, who was eyeing his lordship somewhat wrath-
fully, hailed him with :

" Now then, Mr. Tomkins, are you going to be all day on
your journey 1 Quicken your movements, sir, or I will send
a boatswain's mate after you with a rope's-end to freshen
your way. Do your hear, sirl "

" Ay ay, sir," responded the ci-devant Lord Fitz-Johnes
now plain Mr. Tomkins — in a squeaky treble, as he made a
feeble momentary show of alacrity. Just then I caught his
eye, and, taking off my hat, made him an ironical bow of
recognition, to which he responded by pressing his body
against the rigging — pausing in his upward journey to give
due effect to the ceremony — spreading his legs as widely
apart as possible, and extending both hands toward me, the

46 A CBKEMOKIOUS GREETING.

fingers outspread, the thumb of the right hand pressing
gently against the point of his nose, and the thumb of the
left interlinked with the right-hand little finger. This
salute was made still more impressive by a lengthened slow
and solemn twiddling of the fingers, which was only brought
to an end by the second lieutenant hailing :

" Mr. Tomkins, you will oblige me by prolonging your
stay at the mast-head until the end of the afternoon watch,
if you please "

As the answering "Ay ay, sir," came sadly down from
aloft, I felt a touch on my arm, and, turning round, found
my second acquaintance, Lord Tomnoddy, by my side. As
I looked at him I felt strongly inclined to ask him whether
he also had changed his name since our last meeting.

"Oh, look here, Hawksbill," he commenced, "Fm glad
youVe come on board; I wanted to see you in order that I
might repay you the sovereign you lent us the other day.
Here it is," — selecting the coin from a handful which he
pulled out of his breeches pocket and thrusting it into my
hand — " and I am very much obliged to you for the loan.
I recUl^ hadn't a farthing in my pocket at the time, or I
wouldn't have allowed Tomkins to borrow it from you — and
it was awfully stupid of me to let you go away without
sajdng where I could send it to you."

"Pray do not say anything further about it, Mr. — ^Mr. — "
" I am Lord Southdown, at your service — not Lord Tom-
noddy, as my whimsical friend Tomkins dubbed me the
other day. It is perfectly true," he added somewhat
haughtily, and then with a smile resumed ; " but I suppose
I must not take offence at your look of incredulity, seeing

MY SELF-LOVE RECEIVES A WOUND. 47

that I was a consenting party to that awful piece of deception
which Tomkins played off upon you. Ha, ha, ha! excuse
me, but I really wish you could have seen yourself when
that mischievous friend of mine accused you of — of — what
was itf Oh, yes, of playing fast and loose with the affec-
tions of the fictitious Lady Sara, or whatever the fellow
called her. And then again, when he remarked upon your
extraordinary resemblance to Lord — Somebody — another
fictitious friend of his, and directed attention to your * lofty
intdlectual forehead, your proud eagle-glance, your — * oh,
dear! it was too much."

And off went his lordship into another paroxysm of
laughter, which sent the tears coursing down his cheeks and
caused me to flush most painfully with mortification.

" Upon my word, HawksbiU — " he commenced

"My name is Hawk«s%, my lord, at your service," I
interrupted, somewhat angrily I am afraid.

"I beg your pardon, Mr. Hawkesley; the mistake was a
perfectly genuine and unintentional one, I assure you. I
was going to apologize — as I do, most heartily, for laughing
at you in this very impertinent fashion. But, my dear
fellow, let me advise you as a friend to overcome your very
conspicuous vanity. I am, perhaps, taking a most un-
warrantable liberty in presuming to oflFer you advice on so
delicate a subject, or, indeed, in alluding to it at all; but, to
tell you the truth, I have taken rather a liking for you in
spite of — ah — ahem — that is— I mean that you struck me
as being a first-rate fellow notwithstanding the little failing
at which I have hinted. You are quite good enough every
way to pass muster without the necessity for any attempt

48 EGGS I

to clothe yourself with fictitious attributes of any kind. Of
course, in the ordinary run of events you will soon be
laughed out of your weakness — there is no place equal to a
man-of-war for the speedy cure of that sort of thing — but
the process is often a very painful one to the patient — I
have passed through it myself, so I can speak from experi-
ence — so very painful was it to me that, even at the risk of
being considered impertinent, I have ventured to ^ve you
a friendly caution, in the hope that your good sense will
enable you to profit by it, and so save you many a bitter
mortification. Now I Ju^e I have not offended you ? "

" By no means, my lord," I repHed, grasping his proffered
hand. "On the contrary, I am very sincerely obliged to
you—"

At this moment the first lieutenant of the St George
reappeared on deck, and coming up to me with Mr. Austin's
letter open in his hand, said :

" My friend Mr. Austin writes me that you are quite out
of eggs on board the Daphiie, and asks me to lend him a
couple of dozen." (Here was another take-down for me;
the important despatch with which I — out of all the midship-
men on boa/rd — had been intrusted was simply a request for
the loan of two dozen eggs!) "He sends to me for them
instead of procuring them from the shore, because he is
afraid you may lose some of your boat's crew." (Evidently
Mr. Austin had not the high opinion of me that I fondly
imagined he had) "I am sorry to say I cannot oblige
Mr. Austin; but I think we can overcome the difficulty if
you do not mind being delayed a quarter of an hour or so.
I have a packet which I wish to send ashore, and if you

"THE anchor's WKIGHED." 49

will give Lord Southdown here — who seems to be a friend
of yours — a passage to the Hard and off again, he will look
after your boat's crew for you whilst you purchase your eggs."

I of course acquiesced in this proposal; whereupon Lord
Southdown was sent into the captain's cabin for the packet
in question ; and on his reappearance a few minutes later
we jumped into the boat and went ashore together, his lord-
ship regaling me on the way with sundry entertaining anec-
dotes whereof his humorous friend Tomkins was the hero.

We managed to execute our respective errands without
losing any of the boat's crew; and duly putting Lord South-
down on board the St. George again, I returned triumphantly
to the Daphne with my consignment of eggs and handed
them over intact to Mr. Austin. After which I dived below,

just in time to partake of the first dinner provided for me

at the expense of His Most Gracious Majesty George IV.

For the remainder of that day and during the whole of
the next, until nearly ten o'clock at night, we were up to
our eyes in the business of completing stores, &c., and,
generally, in getting the ship ready for sea; and at daybreak
on the second morning after I had joined, the fore-topsail
was loosed, blue peter run up to the fore royal-mast head,
the boats hoisted in and stowed, and the messenger passed,
after which all hands went to breakfast. At nine o'clock
the captain's gig was sent on shore, and at 11 A.M. the
skipper came off; his boat was hoisted up to the davits, the
canvas loosed, the anchor tripped, and away we went down
the Solent and out past the Needles, with a slashing breeze
at E.S.E. and every stitch of canvas set, from the topgallant
studdingsaiis downwards.

CHAPTER IV.

A BOAT-EXCURSION INTO THE CONGO.

UR skipper's instructions were to the effect that
he was, in the first instance, to report himself
to the governor of Sierra Leone ; and it was
to that port, therefore, that we now made the
best of our way.

The breeze with which we started carried us handsomely
down channel and half-way across the Bay of Biscay, and
the ship proving to be a regular flyer, everybody, from the
skipper downwards, was in the very best of spirits. Then
came a change, the wind backing out from s.w. with squally
weather which placed us at once upon a taut bowline; and
simultaneously with this change of weather a most disagree-
able discovery was made, namely, that the Daphne was an
exceedingly crank ship.

However, we accomplished the passage in a little over
three weeks; and after remaining at Sierra Leone for a few
hours only, proceeded for the mouth of the Congo, off which
we expected to fall in with the Fatun, which ship we had
been sent out to relieve. Proceeding under easy canvas, in
the hope of picking up a prize by the way — ^in which hope,

50

WE REACH OUR CRUISING GROUND. 51

however, we were disappointed — we reached our destination
in twenty-three days from Sierra Leone; sighting the Fawn
at daybreak and closing with her an hour afterwards. Her
skipper came on board the Daphne and remained to break-
fast with Captain Vernon, whom — our skipper being a total
stranger to the coast — he posted up pretty thoroughly in
the current news, as well as such of the " dodges " of the
slavers as he had happened to have picked up. He said
that at the moment there were no ships in the river, but
that intelligence — whether trustworthy or no, however, he
could not state — had reached him of the daily-expected
arrival of three ships from Cuba. He also confirmed a very
extraordinary story which had been told our skipper by the
governor of Sierra Leone, to the eifect that large cargoes of

slaves, known to have been collected on shore up the river,

awaiting the arrival of the slavers, had from time to time
disappeared in a most mysterious manner, at times when, as
far as could be ascertained, no craft but men-o'-war were
anywhere near the neighbourhood. At noon the Fawn filled
away and bore up for Jamaica- -whither she was to proceed
preparatory to returning home to be paid oflF — her crew
manning the rigging and giving us a parting cheer as she
did so; and two hours later her royals dipped below the
horizon, and we were left alone in our glory.

On parting from the Fawn we filled away again upon the
starboard tack, the wind being off the shore, and at noon
brought the ship to an anchor in nine fathoms of water off
Padron Point (the projecting headland on the southern
side of the river's mouth) at a distance of two miles only
from the shore^ The order was then given for the men to

52 WARM WORK — FOR THE CREW.

go to dinner as soon as that meal could be got ready; it
being understood that, notwithstanding the Fawn's assurance
as to there being no ships in the river, our skipper intended
to satisfy himself of that fact by actual examination. More-
over, the deserted state of the river afforded us an excellent
opportunity for making an unmolested exploration of i
making its acquaintance, so to speak, in order that at any
future time, if occasion should arise, we might be able to
make a dash into it without feeling that we were doing so
absolutely blindfold.

At 1"30 p.m. the gig was piped away; Mr. Austin being
in charge, with me for an aide, all hands being fully armed.

The wind had by this time died away to a dead calm ; the
sun was blading down upon us as if determined to roast us
as we sat; and we had a long pull before us, for although
the ship lay only two miles from the shore, we had to round
a low spit, called, as Mr. Austin informed me, Shark Point,
six miles away, in a north-easterly direction, before we could
be said to be fairly in the river.

For this point, then, away we stretched, the perspiration
streaming from the men at every pore. Fortunately the tide
had begun to make before we started, and it was therefore
in our favour. We had a sounding-line with us, which we
used at frequent intervals; and by its aid we ascertained
that at a distance of one mile from the shore the shallowest
water between the ship and Shark Point was about three
and a half fathoms at low water. This was at a spot distant
some three and a half miles from the point. Half a mile
further on we suddenly deepened our water to forty-five
fathoms; and at a distance of only a quarter of a mile from

THE LOWER CONGO. 53

the point as we rounded it, the lead gave us fifteen fathoms,
shortly afterwards shoaling to six fathoms, which depth was
steadily maintained for a distance of eight miles up the river,
the extent of our exploration on this occasion. On our re-
turn journey we kept a little further off the shore, and found
a corresponding increase in the depth of water; a result
which fully satisfied us that we need have no hesitation
about taking the Daphne inside should it at any time seem
desirable so to do.

Immediately abreast of Shark Point is an extensive creek
named Banana Creek; and hereabouts the river is fully
six miles wide. On making out the mouth of this creek
it was our first intention to have explored it; but on round-
ing the point and fairly entering the river, we made out

so many snug, likely -looking openings on the southern

side that we determined to confine our attention to that side
first.

In the first place, immediately on rounding Shark Point
we discovered a bay at the back of it, roughly triangular in
shape, about four miles broad across the base, and perhaps
three miles deep from base to apex. At the further end of
the base of this triangular bay we descried the mouth of
the creek; and at the apex or bottom of the bay, another.
The latter of these we examined first, making the discovery
that the mouth or opening gave access to three creeks instead
of one ; they were all, however, too shallow to admit anything
drawing over ten feet, even at high water; and the land
adjoining was also so low and the bush so stunted — con-
sisting almost exclusively of mangroves — that only a partial
concealment could have been effected unless a ship's upper

54 WE EXPLORE A CREEK OB TWa

Spars were struck for the occasion. A low-rigged vessel,
such as a felucca, would indeed find complete shelter in
either of the two westernmost creeks — the easternmost had
only three feet of water in it when we visited it; but the
shores on either side consisted only of a brownish-gray fetid
mud, of a consistency little thicker than pea-soup ; and the
facilities for embarking slaves were so utterly wanting that
we felt sure we need not trouble ourselves at any future
time about either of these creeks.

The other creek, that which I have described as situated
at the further ead of the base of the triangle forming the
bay, was undoubtedly more promising; though, like the
others, it could only receive craft of small tonnage, having
a little bar of its own across its mouth, on which at half-tide,

which was about the time of our visit, there was only seven
feet of water. Its banks, however, were tolerably firm and
solid; the jungle was thicker and higher; though little more
than a cable's length wide at its mouth, it was nearly a mile
in width a little further in; and branching off from it, right
and left, there were three or four other snug-looking little
creeks, wherein a ship of light draught might lie as com-
fortably as if in dry-dock, and wherein, by simply sending
down top-gallant masts, she would be perfectly concealed.
Mr. Austin would greatly have liked to land here and ex-
plore the bush a bit on each side of the creek; but our
mission just then was to make a rough survey of the river
rather than of its banks, so we reluctantly made our way
back once more to the broad rolling river.

A pull of a couple of miles close along the shore brought
us to the entrance of another creek, which for a length of

THE SCENERY OF THE RIVEB, 56

two miles averaged quite half a mile wide, when it took a
sharp bend to the right, or in a southerly direction, and at
the same time narrowed down to less than a quarter of a
mile in width. For the first two miles we had plenty of
water, that is to say, there was never less than five fathoms
under our keel; but with the narrowing of the creek it
shoaled rapidly, so that by the time we had gone another
mile we found ourselves in a stream about a hundred yards
wide and only six feet deep. The mangrove-swamp, how-
ever, had ceased; and the grassy banks, shelving gently
down to the water on each side, ended in a narrow strip of
reddish sandy beach. The bush here was very dense and
the vegetation extremely varied, whilst the foliage seemed
to embrace literally all the colours of the rainbow. Greens
of course predominated, but they were of every conceivable
shade, from the pale delicate tint of the young budding leaf
to an olive which was almost black Then there was the
ruddy bronze of leaves which appeared just ready to fall;
and thickly interspersed among the greens were large bushes
with long lance-shaped leaves of a beautifully delicate ashen-
gray tint; others glowed in a rich mass of flaming scarlet;
whilst others again had a leaf thickly covered with short
white sheeny satin-like fur — I cannot otherwise describe
which gleamed and flashed in the sun-rays as though the
leaves were of polished silver. Some of the trees were
thickly covered with blossoms exquisite both in form and
colour; while as to the passion-plant and other flowering
creepers, they were here, there, and everywhere in such
countless varieties as would have sent a botanist into the
seventh heaven of delight.

56 TROPICAL LOVELINESa

That this vast extent of jungle was not tenantless we
had frequent assurance in the sudden sharp cracking of
twigs and branches, as well as other more distant and more
mysterious sounds; an occasional glimpse of a monkey was
caught high aloft in the gently swaying branches of some
forest giant; and birds of gorgeous plumage but more or
less discordant cries constantly flitted from bough to bough,
or swept in rapid flight across the stream.

We were so enchanted with the beauty of this secluded
creek that though the time was flitting rapidly away
Mr. Austin could not resist the temptation to push a little
further on, notwithstanding the fact that we had already
penetrated higher than a ship, even of small tonnage, could
possibly reach; and the men, nothing loath, accordingly

paddled gently ahead for another mile At this point we
discovered that the tide was met and stopped by a stream
of thick muddy fresh water; the creek or river, whichever
you choose to call it, had narrowed in until it was only
about a hundred feet across; and the water had shoaled
to four feet. The trees in many places grew right down to
the water's edge; the roots of some, indeed, were actually
covered, and here and there the more lofty ones, leaning
over the stream on either side, mingled their foliage over-
head and formed a leafy arch, completely excluding the
sun's rays and throwing that part of the river which they
overarched into a deep green twilight shadow to which the
eye had to become accustomed before it was possible to see
anything. A hundred yards ahead of us there was a long
continuous tunnel formed in this way; and, on entering it,
the men with one accord rested on their oars and allowed

WHAT IS IT? 57

the boat to glide onward by her own momentum, whilst
they looked around them, lost in wonder and admiration.

As we shot into this watery lane, and the roll of the oars
in the rowlocks ceased, the silence became profound, almost
oppressively so, marked and emphasized as it was by the
lap and gurgle of the water against the boat's planking.
Not a bird was here to be seen; not even an insect — except
the mosquitoes, by the by, which soon began to swarm
round us in numbers amply sufficient to atone for the
absence of all other life. But the picture presented to our
view by the long avenue of variegated foliage, looped and
festooned in every direction with flowery creepers loaded
with blooms of the most gorgeous hues ; and the deep green

•almost black — shadows, contrasted here and there with
long arrowy shafts of greenish light glancing down through
invisible openings in the leafy arch above, and lighting up
into prominence some feathery spray or drooping flowery
wreath, was enchantingly beautiful.

We were all sitting motionless and silent, wrapped in ad-
miration of the enchanting scene, all the more enchanting,
perhaps, to us -from ifcs striking contrast to the long mono-
tony of sea and sky only upon which our eyes had so lately
rested, when a slight, sharp, crackling soimd — proceeding
from apparently but a short distance oflF in the bush on our
port bow — arrested our attention. The boat had by this
time lost her way, and the men, abruptly roused from their
trance of wondering admiration, were about once more to
dip their oars in the water when Mr. Austin's uplifted hand
arrested them.

The sounds continued at intervals; and presently, with-

58 AN EXCITING COMBAT.

out so much as the rustling of a bough to prepare us for the
apparition, a magnificent antelope emerged from the bush
about fifty yards away, and stepped daintily down into the
water. His quick eye detected in an instant the unwonted
presence of our boat and ourselves, and instead of bowing
his head at once to drink, as had evidently been his first
intention, he stood motionless as a statue, gazing wonder-
ingly at us. He was a superb creature, standing as high at
the shoulders as a cow, with a smooth, glossy hide of a very
light chocolate colour — except along the belly and on the
inner side of the thighs, where the hair was milk-white
and long, sharp, gracefully curving horns. We were so
close to him that we could even distinguish the greenish
lambent gleam of his eyes.

Mr. Austin very cautiously reached out his hand for a
musket which lay on the thwart beside him, and had almost
grasped it, when — in the millionth part of a second, as it
seemed to me, so rapid was it — there was a flashing swirl of
water directly in front of the deer, and before the startled
creature had time to make so much as a single movement
to save itself, an immense alligator had seized it by a fore-
leg and was tug-tugging at it in an endeavour to drag it
into deep water. The deer, however, though taken by sur-
prise and at a disadvantage, was evidently determined not to
yield without a struggle, and, lowering his head, he made
lunge after lunge at his antagonist Math the long, sharply-
pointed horns which had so excited my admiration, holding
bravely back with his three disengaged legs the while.

"Give way, men," shouted Mr. Austin in a voice which
made the leafy archway ring again. '* Steer straight for the

FRESH VENISON. 59

crocodile, Tom; plump the boat right on him; and, bow-
oar, lay in and stand by to prod the fellow with your boat-
hook. iDrive it into him under the arm-pit if you can;
that, I believe, is his most vulnerable part."

Animated by the first lieutenant's evident excitement,
the men dashed their oars into the water, and, with a tug
which made the stout ash staves buckle like fishing-rods,
sent the boat forward with a rush.

The alligator — or crocodile, whichever he happened to be
— was, however, in the meantime, getting the best of the
struggle, dragging the antelope steadily ahead into deeper
water every instant, in spite of the beautiful creature's
desperate resistance. We were only a few seconds in
reaching the scene of the conflict, yet during that brief

period the buck had been dragged forward until the water
was up to his belly.

" Hold water 1 back hard of all!" cried Mr. Austin, stand-
ing up in the stem-sheets, musket in hand, as we ranged up
alongside the frantic deer. " Now give it him with your
boat-hook; drive it well home into him. That's your sort,
Ben ; another like that, and he must let go. Well struck !
now another — "

Bang!

The crocodile had suddenly released his hold upon the
antelope; and the creature no sooner felt itself free than it
wheeled round, and, on three legs — the fourth was broken
above the knee-joint, or probably bitten in two — made a

r

gallant dash for the shore. But our first lieutenant was
quite prepared for such a movement, had anticipated it, in
fact, and the buck had barely emerged from the water when

60 FURTHER STILL.

he was cleverly dropi)ed by a bullet from Mr. Austin's
musket

The boat was thereupon promptly beached, the buck's
throat cut, and the carcass stowed away in the stem-sheets,
which it pretty completely filled. We were just about to
shove off again when the first lieutenant caught sight of a
banana-tree, with the fruit just in right condition for cut-
ting; so we added to our spoils three huge bunches of
bananas, each as much as a man could conveniently carry.

The deepening shadows now warned us that the sun was
sinking low; so we shoved off and made the best of our
way back to the river. When we reached it we found that
there was a small drain of the flood-tide still making, and, the
land-breeze not yet having sprung up, Mr. Austin deter-
mined to push yet a little higher up the river. The boat's
head was accordingly pointed to the eastward, and, four
miles further on, we hit upon another opening, into which
we at once made our way.

We had no sooner entered this creek, however, than we
found that, like the first we had visited, it forked into two,
one branch of which trended to the south-west and the
other in a south-easterly direction. We chose the latter,
and soon found ourselves pulling along a channel very
similar to the last one we had explored, except that, in the
present instance, the first of a chain of hills, stretching
away to the eastward, lay at no great distance ahead of us.
A pull of a couple of miles brought us to a bend in the
stream: and in a few minutes afterwards we found our-

hills

three

SUNSET ON THE CONGO. 61

to four and a half fathoms of water under us. Twenty
minutes later the channel again divided, one branch con-
tinuing on in an easterly direction, whilst the other — which
varied from a half to three-quarters of a mile in width
branched oiF abruptly to the northward and westward. Mr.
Austin chose this channel, suspecting that it would lead into
the river again, a suspicion which another quarter of an
hour proved correct.

The sun was by this time within half an hour of setting,
and Shark Point — or rather the tops of the mangroves
growing upon it — lay stretched along the horizon a good
eleven miles off, so it was high time to see about returning.
But the tide had by this time turned and was running
out pretty strongly in mid-channel; the land-breeze also
had sprung up, and, though where we were, close inshore,
we did not feel very much of it, was swaying the tops of
the more lofty trees in a way which I am sure must have
gladdened the hearts of the boat's crew; so the oars were
laid in, the mast stepped, and the lug hoisted, and in
another ten minutes we were bowling doAvn stream — what
with the current and the breeze, both of which we got in
their full strength as soon as we had hauled a little further
out from the bank — at the rate of a good honest ten knots
per hour.

The sun went down in a bewildering blaze of purple and
crimson and gold when we were within five miles of Shark
Point; and, ten minutes afterwards, night — the glorious

F

night of the tropics — was upon us in all its loveliness. The
heavens were destitute of cloud — save a low bank down on
the western horizon — and the soft velvety blue-black of the

62 THE DEADLY MIST.

sky was literally powdered with countless millions of glit-
tering gems. I do not remember that I ever before or since
saw so many of the smaller stars ; and as for the larger stars
and the planets, they shone down npon us with an efful-
gence which caused them to be reflected in long shimmering
lines of golden light upon the turbid water.

Presently the boat's lug-sail, which spread above and
before us like a great blot of ghostly gray against the star-
lit sky, began perceptibly to pale and brighten until it stood
out clear and distinct, bathed in richest primrose light, with
the shadow of the mast drawn across it in ebony-black.
Striking the top of the sail first, the light swept gradually
down; and in less than a minute the whole of the boat,
with the crew and ourselves, were completely bathed in it.
I looked behind me to ascertain the cause of this sudden
glorification, and, behold 1 there was the moon sweeping
magnificently into view above the distant tree-tops, her full
orb magnified to three or four times its usual dimensions
and painted a glorious ruddy orange by the haze which be-
gan to rise from the bosom of the river. Under the magic
effect of the moonlight the noble river, with its background
of trees and bush rising dim and ghostly above the wreath-
ing mist and its swift-fiowing waters shimmering in the
golden radiance, presented a picture the dream-like beauty
of which words are wholly inadequate to describe. But I
am willing to confess that my admiration lost a great deal
of its ardour when Mr. Austin informed me that the mist
which imparted so subtle a charm to the scene was but the
forerunner of the deadly miasmatic fog which makes the
Congo so fatal a river to Europeans; and I was by no

ONCE MORE ON BOARD. 63

means sorry when w© found ourselves, three-quarters of an
hour later, once more in safety alongside the Dapkne, having
succeeded in making good our escape before the pestilential
fog overtook us. Our prizes, the buck and the bananas,
were cordially welcomed on board the old barkie; the
bananas being carefully suspended from the spanker-boom
to ripen at their leisure, whilst the buck was handed over
to the butcher to be operated upon forthwith, so far at least
as the flaying was concerned ; and on the morrow all hands,
fore and aft, enjoyed the unwonted luxury of venison for
dinner.

Mr. Austin having duly reported to Captain Vernon that
the river was just then free of shipping, we hove up the
anchor that same evening, at the end of the second dog-
watch, and stood off from the land all night under easy
canvaa.

CHAPTER V.

THE *'VESTALE."

BOUT three bells in the forenoon watch next
morning the look-out aloft reported a sail on
the larboard bow; and, on being questioned in
the usual manner, he shouted down to us the
further information that the stranger was a brig working in
for the land on the starboard tack under topgallant sails,
and that she had all the look of a man-o*-war.

By six bells we had closed each other within a mile ; and
a few minutes afterwards the stranger crossed our bows,
and, laying her main topsail to the mast, lowered a boat.
Perceiving that her captain wanted to speak us, we of course
at once hauled our wind and, backing our main topsail, hove-
to about a couple of cables' lengths to windward of the brig.
She was as beautiful a craft as a seaman's eye had ever
rested on: long and low upon the water, with a superbly-
modelled hull, enormously lofty masts with a saucy rake aft
to them, and very taunt heavy yards. She mounted seven
guns of a side, apparently of the same description and weight
as our own — long 18-pounders, and there was what looked
suspiciously like a long 32-pounder on her forecastle. She

64

A VISIT AT SKA. 65

was flying French colours, but she certainly lor^^ed at least
as much like an English as she did like a French ship.

The boat dashed alongside as in true man-o'-war style;
our side was duly manned, and presently there entered
through the gangway a man dressed in the uniform of a
lieutenant in the French navy. He was of medium height
and rather square built; his skin was tanned to a deep
mahogany colour; his hair and bushy beard were jet black,
as also were his piercing, restless eyes; and though rather
a handsome man, his features wore a fierce and repellent
expression, which, however, passed away as soon as he began
to speak.

" Bon jour, ro'sieu," he began, raising his uniform cap and
bowing to Mr. Austin, who met him at the gangway. " What
chipdis iSy eh?"

" This, sir, is His Britannic Majesty's sloop Dwphve, What
brig is that?"

"That, sair, is the Franch brigue of war Vestale; and I
am Jules Le Breton, her first leeftant, at your serveece. Are
you le capitaine of this vaisseau 1 "

" No, sir; I am the first lieutenant, and my name is Aus-
tin," with a bow. " Captain Vernon is in his cabin. Do
you wish to see him?"

At that moment the skipper made his appearance from
below, and stepping forward, the French lieutenant was
presented to him with all due formality by Mr. Austin.

It being my watch on deck I was promenading fore and
aft just to leeward of the group, and consequently over-
heard pretty nearly everything that passed. The Vestale^
it appeared from M. Le Breton's statement, had just returned

(290)

66 I HAVB MY SUSPICIONS.

to the coast from a fruitless chase half across the Atlantic
after a large barque which had managed to slip out of the
Congo and dodge past them some three weeks previously,
and she was now about to look in there once more in the
hope of meeting with better fortune. And, judging from
the course we were steering that we had just left the river,
M. Le Breton had, " by order of Capitane Dubosc, ventured
upon the liberty" of boarding us in order to ascertain the
latest news.

The skipper of course mentioned our exploring expedition
of the previous day, assured him of the total absence of all
ships from the river, and finally invited him into the cabin
to take wine with him.

They were below fully half an hour, and when they re-
turned to the deck the Frenchman was chattering away in
very broken English in the most lively manner, and gesticu-
lating with his hands and shoulders as only a Frenchman
can. But notwithstanding the animation with which he
was conversing, I could not help noticing that his eyes were
all over the ship, not in an abstracted fashion, but evidently
with the object of thoroughly "taking stock" of us. It
struck me, too, that his English was too broken to be quite
genuine — or rather, to be strictly correct, that it was not

always broken to the same extent For instance, he once
or twice used the word " the," uttering it as plainly as I

could; and at other times I noticed that he called it "ze" or

"dee." And I detected him ringing the changes in like

manner on several other words. From which I inferred

that he was not altogether as fair and above-board with us

as he wished us to believa I felt half disposed to seize

THE SKIPPER "PUMPED DRY." 67

an early opportunity to mention the matter to Mr. Austin;
but then, on the other hand, I reflected that M. Le Breton
could hardly have any possible reason for attempting to
deceive us in any way, and so for the moment the matter
passed out of my mind.

At length our visitor bowed himself down over the side,
throwing one last lingering look round our decks as he did
so, and in another five minutes was once more on board his
own ship, which, hoisting up her boat, filled her main top-
sail, and, with a dip of her ensign by way of " good-bye,"
resumed her course.

"Thank Heaven IVe got rid of the fellow at last.'" ex-
claimed Captain Vernon with a laugh, when the brig was once
more fairly under weigh. " He has pumped me dry; such
an inquisitive individual I think I never in my life encoun-
tered before. But I fancy I have succeeded in persuading
him that he will do no good by hanging about the coast
hereabouts. We want no Frenchmen to help us with our
work; and I gave him so very discouraging an account of
the state of things here, that I expect they will take a trip
northward after looking into the river."

We continued running off the land for the remainder of
that day, the whole of the following night, and up to noon
next day, with a breeze which sent us along, under topsails
only, at a rate of about six knots an hour. On the follow-
ing day, at six bells in the forenoon watch (11 A.M.), the
look-out aloft reported a something which he took to be
floating wreckage, about three points on the port bow ; and
Mr. Smellie, our second lieutenant, at once went aloft to
the foretopmast-crosstrees to have a look at it through his

68 BESET BY SHARKS!

telescope. A single glance sufficed to acquaint him with
the fact that the object, which was about six miles distant,
was a raft with people upon it, who were making such
signals as it was in their power to make with the object of
attracting our attention. Upon the receipt of this news on
deck Captain Vernon at once ordered the ship's course to
be altered to the direction of the raft, a gun being fired and
the ensign run up to the gaff-end at the same time.

It was a trifle past noon when the Daphne rounded-to
about a hundred yards to windward of the raft, and sent
away a boat to pick up those upon it. It was a wretched
make-shift structure, composed of a spar or two, some half-
burned hen-coops, and a few pieces of charred bulwark-
planking; and was so small that there was scarcely room
on it for the fourteen persons it sustained. It was a most
fortunate circumstance for them that the weather happened
to be fine at the time; for had there been any great amount
of sea running, the crazy concern could not have been kept
together for half an hour. We concluded from the appear-
ance of the afiair that the castaways had been burned out
of their ship ; and so they had, but not in the manner we
supposed. As we closed with the raft it was seen that
several sharks were cruising longingly round and round it,
and occasionally charging at it, evidently in the hope of
being able to drag off some of its occupants. So pertinacious
were these ravenous fish that the boat's crew had to fairly
fight their way through them, and even to beat them off
with the oars and stretchers when they had got alongside.
However, the poor wretches were rescued without accident ;
and in a quarter of an hour from the time of despatching

A STIRRING STORY, 69

the boat she was once more swinging at the davits, with the
rescued men, most of whom were suffering more or less
severely from bums, safely below in charge of the doctor
and his assistant

Later on, when their injuries had been attended to and
the cravings of their hunger and thirst satisfied — they had
neither eaten nor drunk during the previous forty-two hours
•Captain Vernon sent for the skipper of the rescued crew,
to learn from him an account of the mishap.

His story, as related to me by him during the second
dog-watch, was to the following effect :

" My name is Richards, and my ship, which hailed from
Liverpool, was called the Juliet She was a barque of
three hundred and fifty tons register, oak built and copper
fastened throughout, and was only five years old.

** Fifty-four days ago to-day we cleared from Liverpool
for St. Paul de Loando with a cargo of Manchester and
Birmingham goods, sailing the same day with the afternoon

tide.

"All went well with us until the day before last, when,
just before eight bells in the afternoon watch, one of the
hands, who had gone aloft to stow the main topgallant-sail,
reported a sail dead to leeward of us under a heavy press
of canvas. I have been to St. Paul twice before, and know
pretty well the character of this coast; moreover, on my
first trip I was boarded and plundered by a rascally Spaniard;
so I thought I would just step up aloft and take a look at
the stranger through my glass at once. Well, sir, I did so,
and the conclusion I came to was, that though it was blow-
ing veiy fresh I would give the ship every stitch of canvas

70 RICHARDS DECIDES TO BUN FOR IT.

I could show to it. The strange sail was a brig of about
three hundred tons or thereabouts, with very taunt spars, a
tremendous spread of canvas, and her hull painted dead
black down to the copper, which had been scoured until it
fairly shone again. I didn*t at all like the appearance of

my newly-discovered neighbour; the craft had a wicked
look about her from her truck down, and the press of sail
she was carrying seemed to bode me no good. So, as the
Juliet happened to be a pretty smart vessel under her can-
vas, and in splendid sailing trim, I thought I would do
what I could to keep the stranger at arms'-length, and when
the watch was called, a few minutes afterwards, I got the
topgallant-sails, royals, flying jib, main topgallant, royal, and
mizen-topmast staysails all on the old barkie again, and we

began to smoke through it, I can tell you. That done, I set
the stranger by compass, and for the first hour or so I
thought we were holding our own; but by sunset I could
see— a great deal too plainly for my own comfort — that the
brig was both weathering and fore-reaching upon us. Still
she was a long way off, and had the night been dark I
should have tried to dodge the fellow; but that unfortunately
was no use; the sun was no sooner set than the moon rose,
and of course he could see us even more plainly than we
could see him. At seven o*clock he tacked, and then I felt
pretty sure he meant mischief; and when, at a little before
eight bells, he tacked again, this time directly in our wake,
I had no further doubt about it At this time he was about
eight miles astern of us, and at midnight he ranged up on
our weather quarter, slapped his broadside of seven 1 8-poimd
shot right into us without a word of warning, and ordered

BOARDED BY PIRATES ! 71

US to at once heave-to. Mj owners had unfortunately sent
me to sea with only half a dozen muskets on board, and
not an ounce of powder or shot; so what could I do?
Nothing, of course, but heave-to as I was bid; and we
accordingly backed the main topsail without a moment's
delay. The brig then did the same, and lowered a boat,
which five minutes later dashed alongside us and threw in
upon our decks a crew of seventeen as bloodthirsty-looking
ruffians as one need ever wish to see. We were, all hands
fore and aft, at once bound neck and heels and huddled
together aft on the monkey-poop, with two of the pirates
mounting guard over us, and then the rest of the gang
coolly set to work and ransacked the ship. The fellow in
command of the party — a man about ^ve feet six inches in
height, square built, with deeply bronzed features and black
hair and beard — made it his first business to hunt for the
manifest; and having ascertained from it that we had
amongst the cargo several bolts of canvas, a large quantity
of new rope, four cases of watches and jewelry, and a dozen
cases of beads, he first ordered me, in broken English, to
inform him where these articles were stowed, and then had
the hatches stripped off and the cargo roused on deck until
he could get at them. When the beads, rope, canvas, and
other matters that he took a fancy to, amounting to six boat
loads, had been transferred to the brig, he informed me that
I must point out to him the spot where I had concealed the
money which he knew to be on board. Now it so happened
that I had no money on board; my owners are dreadfully
suspicious people, and will not intrust anybody with a shil-
ling more than they can help — and many a good fifty-pound

72 FIRING THE SHIP.

note has missed its way into their pockets through their
over-cautiousness ; but that's neither here nor there. Well,
I told the fellow we had no money on board, whereupon he
whipped out his watch and told me out loud, so that all
hands could hear, that he would give us five minutes in
which to make up our minds whether we would hand over
the cash or not; and if we decided not to do so he would
at the end of that time set fire to the ship and leave us all
to burn in her. And that^s just exactly what he did."

" He actually set fire to the ship I " said I. " But of course
he cast you all adrift first, and gave you at least a chattel to
save your lives?"

"I'll tell you what he did, sir," replied the merchant-
skipper. "When the five minutes had expired he called for
a lantern, and, when he had got it, went round and examined
each man's lashings with his own eyes and hands, so as to
make sure that we were all secure to his satisfaction. Then
he ordered half-a-dozen bales of cotton goods to be cut open
and strewed about the cabin; poured oil, turpentine, and
tar over them; did the same down in the forecastle; and
then capsized a cask of tar and a can of turpentine over
the most inflammable goods he could put his hand upon
down in the main hatchway; had the bottoms of all the
boats knocked out; took away all the oars; and then set
fire to the ship forward, aft, and in midships; after which
he wished us all a warm journey into the next world, and
went deliberately down the side into his boat. The brig
stood by us until we were fairly in flames fore and aft, and
then filled away on the starboard tack under all the canvas
she could show to it, leaving us there to perish miserably."

FOK DEAR LIFEl 73

"And how did you manage to effect your escape after
all?" I inquired.

"Well, sir," the skipper replied, " the ship — as you may
imagine, with a cargo such as we had on board — burned
like a torch. In less than five minutes after the pirates had
shoved off from our side the flames were darting up through
companion, hatchway, and fore -scuttle, and in a quarter of
an hour she was all ablaze. Luckily for us, the ship, left to
herself, had paid off before the wind, and the flames were
therefore blown for'ard ; but the deck upon which we were
lying soon became so hot as to be quite unbearable; we
were literally beginning to roast alive, and were in momen-
tary expectation that the deck would fall in and drop us
helplessly into the raging furnace below. At last, driven to
desperation by the torture of mind and body from which I
was suffering, I managed to roll over on my other side;
and there, within an inch of my mouth, was a man's hands,
lashed, like my own, firmly behind his back, and his ankles
drawn close up to them. The idea seized me to try and
gnaw through his lashings and so free him, when of course
he would soon be able to cast us adrift in return. I shouted
to him what I intended to do, and then set to work with
my teeth upon his bonds, gnawing away for dear life.
When my teeth first came into contact with the firm hard
rope I thought I should never be able to do it — at least not
in time to save us — but a man never knows what he can do
until he tries in earnest, as I did then; and I actually suc-
ceeded, and in a few minutes too, in eating my way through
one turn of the lashings. The man then strained and
tu^ed until he managed to free himself, after which it was

74 A NARROW ESCAPE.

the work of a few minutes only to liberate the rest of us.
We then hastily collected together such materials as we
could first lay our hands on, and with them constructed the
raft off which you took us. It was a terribly crazy affair,
but we had no time to make a better one. And of course,
as the ship was by that time a mass of fire fore and aft, it
was impossible for us to secure an atom of provisions of any
kind, or a single drop of water."

"What a story of fiendish cruelty!" I ejaculated when
Kichards had finished his story. "By the by," I suddenly
added, moved by an impulse which I could neither analyse
nor account for, " of what nationality was the leader of the
pirates] Do you think he was a Frenchman ?^^

"Yes, sir, I believe he was^ although he addressed his men

in Spanish," answered Richards in some surprise. "Why
do you ask, sir? Have you ever fallen in with such a man
as I have described him to be % "

"Well, ye — that is, not to my knowledge," I replied hesi-
tatingly. The fact is that Richards' description of the pirate
leader had somehow brought vividly before my minds' eye
the personality of M. Le Breton, the first lieutenant of the
French gun-brig Vestah; and it was this which doubtless
prompted me to put the absurd question to my companion
as to the nationality of the man who had so inhumanly
treated him. Not, it must be understood, that I seriously
for a single instant associated M. Le Breton or the Festale
with the diabolical act of piracy to the account of which I
had just listened. We had at that time no very great love
of or respect for the French, it is true; but even the most
bigoted of Englishmen would, I think, have hesitated to

WAS rr LE BRETON? 75

hint at the possibility of a French man-of-war being the
perpetrator of such a deed.

The mere idea, the bare suggestion of such a suspicion,
was so absurd that I laughed at myself for my folly in
allowing it to obtrude itself, even in the most intangible
form, for a single moment on my mind. And yet, such is the
perversity of the human intellect, I could not, in spite of my-
self, quite get rid of the extravagant idea that M. Le Breton
was in some inexplicable way cognisant of the outrage; nor
could I forbear sketching, for Richards' benefit, as accurate
a word-portrait as I could of the French lieutenant; and —
I suppose on account of that same perversity — I felt no
STU^rise whatever when he assured me that I had faithfully
described to him the arch-pirate who had left him and his

crew to perish in the flames. Indeed, in my then contra-
dictory state of mind I should have been disappointed had
he said otherwise. The man's conduct — his stealthy but
searching scrutiny of the ship; his endeavour, as I regarded
it, to mislead us with his broken English; and his excessive
curiosity, as hinted at by Captain Vernon, had struck me as
peculiar, to say the least of it, on the occasion of his visit to
the Daphne. I had suspected then that he was not altogether
and exactly what he pretended to be; and nmo Richards'
identification of him from my description seemed to confirm,
in a great measure, my instinctive suspicions, unreasonable,
extravagant, and absurd as I admitted them to be. My first
impulse — and it was a very strong one — was to take Mr.
Austin into my confidence, to unfold to him my suspicions
and the circumstances which had given rise to them, frankly
admitting at the same time their apparent enormity, and

76 OONTRADICTORV IMPRESSIONS.

then to put the question to him whether, in his opinion,
there was the shghtest possibility of those suspicions being
well-founded.

So strongly, so unaccountably was I urged to do this,
that I had actually set out to find the first heutenant when
reflection and common sense came to my aid and asked me
what was this thing that I was about to do. The answer to
this question was, that with the self-sufiiciency and stupen-
dous conceit which my father had especially cautioned me to
guard against, I was arrogating to myself the possession of
superhuman sagacity, and (upon the flimsy foundation of a
wild and extravagant fancy, backed by a mere chance re-
semblance, which after all might prove to be no resemblance
at all if Richards could once be confronted with M. Le

Breton) was about to insinuate a charge of the most atro-
cious character against an officer holding a responsible and
honourable position— a man who doubtless was the soul of
honour and rectitude. A moment's reflection sufficed to
convince me of the utter impossibility of the same man
being in command of a pirate brig one day and an officer of
a French man-o'-war the next. I might just as reasonably
have suspected the Vestale herself of piracy; and ihat^ I well
knew, would be carrying my suspicions to the uttermost
extremity of idiotic absurdity. I had, in short — so I finally
decided — discovered a mare's nest, and upon the strength
of it had been upon the very verge of proclaiming myself
a hopeless idiot and making myself the perpetual laughing-
stock of the whole ship. I congratulated myself most
heartily upon having paused in time, and resolved very
determinedly that I would not further dwell upon the sub-

"SAIL HOl" 77

ject, or allow myself to be again lured into entertaining
such superlatively ridiculous notions.

Yet only four days later I was harassed by a temporary
recurrence of all my suspicions ; and it was with the utmost
difficulty that I combated them. I succeeded, it is true, in
so far maintaining my self-control as to keep a silent tongue ;
but they continued persistently to haunt me until — but
steady! Whither away, Dick, my lad? You are out of
your course altogether and luffing into the wind's eye, in-
stead of working steadily to windward, tack and tack, and
taking the incidents of your story as you come to them.

The incident which revived my very singular suspicions
was as follows :■

Upon learning the full details of Richards' story, Captain
Vernon had come to the conclusion that the brig which
destroyed the Jrdiet was a vessel devoted to the combined
pursuits of piracy and slave-trading; that she was, in all
probability, one of the three vessels reported by the Fatun as
daily expected to arrive on the coast from Cuba; and that
it was more than likely her destination was the Congo. He
therefore determined to make the best of his way back to
that river, in the sanguine hope of effecting her capture;
after which he intended to run down to St. Paul de Loando
to land the crew of the Juliet^ Richards having expressed a
desire to be taken there if possible.

It was on the fourth day after we had picked up the
Juliefs crew, and we were working our way back toward the
mouth of the Congo, making short tacks across the track of
vessels running the notorious Middle Passage, when the
look-out aloft reported a sail about three points on the

78 FRIEND OR FOE?

weather bow, running down toward us under a perfect
cloud of canvas. It was at once conjectured that this might
be Eichards' late free-and-easy acquaintance outward-bound

F

with a cargo of slaves on board; and the i)a^Ane was accor-
dingly kept away a couple of points to intercept him, the
hands being ordered to hold themselves in readiness to jiunp
sAoh and make sail on the instant that the stranger gave the
slightest sign of an intention to avoid us. At the same
time Mr. Armitage, oiu* third lieutenant, proceeded aloft to
the main topmast crosstrees with his telescope to maintain
a vigilant watch upon the motions of the approaching
vessel.

All hands were of course in an instant on the qui vive^ the
momentary expectation being that the stranger would
shorten sail, haul upon a wind, and endeavour to evade us.
But minute after minute passed without the slightest in-
dication of any such intention, and very shortly his royals
rose into view above the horizon from the deck; then
followed his topgallant-sails, then his topsails, his courses
next, and finally the hull of the ship appeared upon the
horizon, with studding sails alow and aloft on both sides,
running down dead before the wind, and evidently going
through the water at a tremendous pace.

Every available telescope in the ship was now brought to
bear upon the craft, and presently her fore-royal and fore-
topgallant-sail were observed to collapse, the yards slid
down the mast, and the sails were clewed up, but not furled.
The next instant the French tricolour fluttered out from her
foreroyal-mast head, the only position from whence it could
be made visible to us; and simultaneously with its appear-

THE "vestale's" signal. 79

ance the conviction came to us all that in the approaching
vessel we were about to recognize our recent acquaintance
the Feslale. Our ensign, which was already bent on to the
peak-halyards, was promptly run up in response, whereupon
the French ensign disappeared, to be instantly replaced by
a string of signala Our signal-book was at once produced,
our answering pennant run half-mast up, and we then began
to read off the following signal :

"Have you sighted 1 — "

Our pennant was then mast-headed to show that we
understood; the flags disappeared on board the Frenchman,
and another batch was run up, which, being interpreted,
meant:

"Brig—"

This also was acknowledged, and the signalling was con-
tinued until the whole message was completed, thus:

"Same tonnage as — *'

" Ourselves — "

"HuU— "

"Painted—"

"AU black—"

"Steering W.N. wJ"

The final string of flags then disappeared, and the VestaUs
answering pennant directly afterwards showed just above
her topgallant yard, indicating that she had completed her
signal and awaited our reply.

The entire signal then, freely interpreted, ran thus :

"Have you sighted a brig of the same tonnage (or size) as
ourselves, with hull painted all black, steering a w.n.w.
couraet"

80 VEXATIOUS INTBtXIGENOE.

We answered "No;" and, in our turn, inquired whether
the Vestale had seen or heard of such a craft.

The French gun-brig was by this time crossing our bows,
distant about half a mile ; her reply was accordingly made
from her ga£f-end, the fore-topgallant-sail and royal being at

the same time sheeted-home and mast-headed.

It was to the following effect :

"Yea Brig in question sailed from Congo yesterday,
six hours before our arrival, with three hundred slaves on
board."

By the time that this message had been communicated
by the slow and tedious process then in vogue — the two
vessels were too far apart to render any further conversation
possible, and in little more than an hour after the final
hauling-down of the last signal the Vestale^ s main-royal sank
beneath the verge of the western horizon, and we were once
more alone.

CHAPTER VI.

IN THE CONGO ONCE MORE.

HAVE not yet, however, stated what it was in
connection with our encounter with the Vestcde
which served to fan my fantastic suspicions into
flame anew, and, I may add too at the same

time, mould them into a more definite shape than they had

ever hefore taken.

It was Eichards' peculiar conduct and remarks.

He had manifested quite an extraordinary amount of
interest in oiur rencontre with the Vestale from the moment of
her being first reported from the mast-head, evidently shar-
ing the hope and belief, which we all at first entertained, that
the strange sail would turn out to be the brig which had
served him so scurvy a trick a few days before.

It was easy to understand the excitement he exhibited so
long as this remained a matter of conjecture, but when the
conjecture proved to be imfounded I fuUy expected his ex-
citement, if not his interest, would wane. It did not, how-
ever. He borrowed my telescope as soon as the brig became
fully visible from the deck, and, placing himself at an open
port, kept the tube of the instrument levelled at her until

(»0) 81 '

82 RICHARDS' EXTRAORDINARY STAl^l^IENT.

her topsails disappeared below the horizon again. I remained
close beside him during the whole time, and his excitement
and perplexity were so palpable that I could not refrain
from questioning him as to the cause.

"I'li tell you, Mr. Hawkesley," he replied, "You see
that craft there ? Well, I could almost stake my soul that
she and the pirate-brig were built on the same stocks. The
two craft are the same size to a ton, 111 swear that; and
they are the same model and the same rig to a nicety. It's
true I was only able to closely inspect the other craft at
night-time, but it was by brilliant moonlight, and I was able
to note every: detail of her build, rig, and equipment almost
as plainly as I now can that of the brig before us; and the
two are sister-ships. They carry the same number of guns-
ay, even to the long-gun I see there on the French brig*s
forecastle. The masts in both ships have the same rake,
the yards the same spread, and the running-gear is rove and
led in exactly the same manner. The only difference I can
distinguish between the two ships is that yonder brig has
a broad white ribbon round her, and a small figure-head
painted white, whilst the pirate-craft was painted black down
to her copper, and she carried a large black figure-head
representing a negress with a gaudy scarf wrapped about
her waist."

"Uml" I remarked "Lend me the glass a moment, will
you? Thanks 1"

The Vestale was, at the moment, just about to cross our
fore-foot, and was therefore about as near to us as she would
be at alL I focused the telescope — a fine powerful instru-
ment — upon her, and oould clearly see the weather-stains

PUZZLING. 83

and the yellowish -red marks of rust in the -wake of her
chain-plates upon the broad white ribbon which stretched
along her side. Evidently that band of white paint had
been exposed to sun and storm for many a long day. Then
I had a look at her figure-head. It was a half-length model
of a female figure, beautifully carved, less than life-size, with
one arm drooping gracefully downwards, and the other — the
right— outstretched, with a gilded lamp in the right hand.
That, too, was weather-stained, and the gilding tarnished
by long exposure. Those pertinacious, half-formed suspi-
cions, which Eichards' words had stirred into new life were
refuted; and yet, as I have said, I could not shake them off,
try as I would, and argue with myself as I would, that they
were utterly ridiculous and unreasonable.

"Look here, Mn Eichards," said I; "if you really are
as positive upon this matter as you say, I wish you would
speak to Captain Vernon about it; it might — and no doubt
would — help us very materially in effecting the capture of
the pirate-brig. We have seen the Vesiale twice, and have
had so good an opportunity to note her peculiarities of
structure and equipment that we shall now know her again
as far off as we can see her. If, therefore, we should ever
happen to fall in with a brig the exact counterpart of the
Vesiale in all respects, except as to the matters of her figure-
head and the painting of her hull, I should think we may
take it for granted that that brig will undoubtedly be the
pirate which destroyed the Jvliet.^ And you may depend
upon it, my good sir, that it is that identical craft that the
Vesiale is now seeking."

"Ye — es, very likely — quite possible," he replied hesitat

84 AT ST. PAUL DK LOANDO.

ingly, and evidently still labouring under the feeling of
perplexity I had noticed. Then, straightening himself up
and passing his hand across his forehead, as though to dear
away the mental cobwebs there, he added: "1*11 go and
Bpeak to Captain Vernon about it at once."

And away he accordingly walked to carry out his resolve.

We stood on as we were going until eight bells in the
afternoon watch that day, when the ship was hove round on
the larboard tack and a course shaped for St. Paul de Loando;
our skipper having come to the conclusion that the brig re-
ferred to in the Vestale's signal was undoubtedly the craft
which we had been on our way back to the Congo to look
for, and that as, according to the gun-brig's statement, she
was no longer there, we were now free to proceed direct to
St, Paul to land the burnt-out crew as soon as possible.

We entered the bay — upon the shore of which the town is
built — about 10 a.m. on the second day after our last meet-
ing with the Festale, and, anchoring in ten fathoms, lowered
a boat, in which Mr. Richards and his crew were landed,
Captain Vernon going on shore with them. The skipper
remained on shore until 4 p.m., and when he came off it was
easy to see that he was deeply pieoccupied. The boat was
at once hoisted in, the messenger passed, the anchor hove
up, and away we went again, crowding sail for the Congo.
As soon as the ship was clear of the Loando reef and fairly
at sea once more, Captain Vernon summoned the first and
second Heutenants to his cabin, where the three remained
closeted with him for some time, indeed the two officers dined
with him; but, whatever the matter might be, neither Mr.
Austin nor Mr. Smellie let fall a word as to its nature, though

MAKING THE BEST OF IT. 85

it was evident from their manner that it was deemed of
considerable import.

When I turned in that night I felt very greatly dissatisfied
with myself. Those outrageous suspicions, upon which I
have dwelt so much in the last few pages, seemed to be
gathering new strength every day in spite of my utmost
endeavours to dissipate them, and that, too, without the
occurrence of anything fresh to confirm them. I accordingly
took myself severely to task; subjected myself to a rigid
self-examination, looking the matter square in the face; and
the conclusions to which I came were — first, that I had
allowed myself to be deluded into the belief that the Festale
herself was the craft which had committed the act of piracy
of which poor Richards and his crew were the victims; and

second, that I had been an unmitigated idiot for suffering
myself to be so deluded. On going thoroughly over the
whole question I was forced to admit to myself that there
was not a particle of evidence incriminating the French gun-
brig save what I had manufactured out of my own too vivid
imagination; and I clearly foresaw that unless I could get
rid of, or, at all events, conquer, this hallucination, I should
be doing or saying something which would get me into a
serious scrape. And, having at last thus settled the ques-
tion — as I thought — to my own satisfaction, I rolled over in
my hammock and went to sleep.

The breeze held fresh during the whole of that night; and
the Daphne made such good progress that by eight o'clock
on the following morning we found ourselves once more
abreast of Padron Point at the entrance to the Congo. Sail
was now shortened ; the ship hove-to, and the men sent to

86 BANANA CREEK.

their breakfasts j the officers also being requested to get theirs
at the same time.

At 8*30 the hands were turned up, the main topsail
filled, and, under topsails, jib, and spanker, and with a
leadsman in the fore-chains on each side, the sloop pro-
ceeded boldly to enter the river, under the pilotage of the
master, who stationed himself for the purpose on the fore
topsail yard. This was a most unusual, almost an unheard-
of, proceeding at that time, the river never having been, up
to that period, properly surveyed ; so we came to the con-
clusion that there was something to the fore a trifle out of
the common; a conclusion which was very fully verified a
little later on.

It was just low water as we came abreast of Shark Point
■which we passed at a distance of about a mile —but we
found plenty of water everywhere; and, stretching across
the river's mouth, the Daphne finally entered Banana Creek,
and anchored in six fathoms close to a smart-looking little
barque of unquestionable American nationality. The sails
were furled, the yards squared, ropes coiled down, and decks
cleared up; and then the first cutter was piped away, Mr.
Smellie at the same time receiving a summons to the skip-
per's cabin.

The conference between the captain and the second lieu-
tenant was but a short one; and when the latter again ap-
peared on deck he beckoned me to him and instructed me
to don my dirk, as I was to accompany him on a visit to the
barque. Just as we were about to go down over the side

Captain Vernon appeared on deck, and, addressing the second
'* iufiV said .

A POLITE RECEPTION. 87

"Whatever you do, Mr. Smellie, keep my caution in
mind, and do not provoke the man. Remember, that if he
is an American — of which I have very httle doubt — we can-
not touch him, even if he has his hold full of slaves; so be
as civil to him as you can, please ; and get all the information
you can out of him."

" Ay, ay, sir; I'll do my best to stroke his fur the right
way, never fear," answered Smellie laughingly; and away
we went.

A couple of minutes later we shot alongside the barque;
and Smeihe and I clambered up her side-ladder to the deck,
where we were received by a lanky cadaverous-looking in-
dividual arrayed in a by no means spotless suit of white
nankin topped by a very dilapidated broad-brimmed Panama
straw-hat.

"Momin*, gentlemen," observed this individual, in re-
sponse to our salutation; "powerful hot; ain't it?"

" Very," returned Smellie in his most amicable manner,
"but" — pointing to the awning spread fore and aft, "I see
you know how to make yourselves comfortable. Your ship,
I observe, is called the Fensacola of New Orleans. I have
come on board to go through the formality of looking at
your papers. You have no objection, I presume?"

"Nary objection, stranger. Look at 'em and welcome,"
was the reply. " I guess I'll have to trouble you to come

below, though."

With this he led the way down the companion-ladder, and
we followed; eventually bringing-up on the comfortably-
cushioned lockers of a fine spacious airy cabin very nicely
fitted up.

88 A FIKST-GRADE MIXTURE.

Seating himself opposite us, the skipper struck a hand-bell
which stood on the cabin table; in response to which sum-
mons a black steward, clad, like his master, in dingy white,
made his appearance from the neighbouring pantry. Our
host thereupon formed his right hand into the shape of a

cup and raised it to his mouth, at the same time exhibiting
three fingers of his left hand; and the steward, nodding and
grinning his comprehension of the mute order, withdrew, to
reappear next moment with a case-bottle of rum, three glasses,
and a water-monkey, or porous earthen jar, full of what
proved, on our pouring it out, to be a very doubtful-looking
liquid.

"Help yourselves, gentlemen," said our host, pushing the
rum-bottle and water-monkey towards us. " I ain't got no
wine aboard to offer you, but the liquor is real old Jamaica,
and the water is genuine Mississippi ; they make a first-grade
mixture. But perhaps you prefer to take your liquoi
* straight;' /always do."

And he forthwith practically illustrated the process of
taking liquor " straight" by half-filling his tumbler with neat
rum, which he swallowed at a single gulp. He then rose
and retired to his state-room in search of his papers; leaving
us to sip our five-water grog meanwhile.

The papers were produced, examined, and found to be
perfectly correct ; after which Smellie set himself to the task
of "pumping" our new acquaintance; without much result,
though we certainly managed to obtain one bit of valuable
information from him.

"Whether there's slavers or no in this rivulet. Til just
leave you to find out, stranger," he remarked, in answer to

NEWS ! 89

a question of Smellie's; "I'm here about my own business,
and you're here about yourn; you can't interfere with me;
and I won't interfere with you. But I don't mind tellin'
you that if you'd been here five days ago you'd have had
a chance of nabbin' the Black Verms, the smartest slaver, I
guess, that's ever visited this section of our sublunary sphere."

"Indeed!" exclaimed Smell ie eagerly. "What sort of a
craft is she ? What is she like?"

" She is a brig" — I pricked up my ears at this, and so, too,
I could see, did Smellie — "of about three hundred tons
register; long, and low in the water; mounts fourteen gims,
seven of a side, and a long 32-pounder on her forecastle.
Has very tall sticks, with a rake aft; and a tremendous
spread of *caliker.' And she's the fastest craft in all crea-
tion, Ymr ship looks as if she could travel; but I 'low she
ain't a carcumstance to the Black Fenm"

" How is she painted]" asked Smellie. " Is she all black,
or does she sometimes sport a white riband 1 "

"Aha!" thought I; "that looks as though my suspicions
are at last shared by somebody else. Richards' communica-
tion to the skipper has surely borne fruit."

" Wall," replied the Yankee with a knowing twinkle in
his eye, "when she sailed from here she was black right down
to her copper. But that ain't much to go by; I guess her
skipper knows a trick or two."

" You think, then, he might alter her appearance as soon
as he got outside?" insinuated Smellie.

" He might — and he mightn't" was the cautious reply.

"Um!" observed Smellie. Then, as if inspired with a
sudden suspicion, he asked :

90 A VERY CUTE CUSTOMER.

"Have you seen any men-o'-war in here lately?"

I could see by the knowing look in our Yankee friend's
eyes that he read poor Smellie like a book

" Wall," he replied. " Come to spfeak of it, there was a
brig in here a few days ago that looked like a man-o'-war.
She were flyin' French colours — when she Hew any at all
and called herself the Vestale."

** Ahl" ejaculated SmelUe. "Did any of her people board
youl"

"You bet!" was the somewhat ambiguous answer. Not
that the reply was at all ambiguous in itself; it was the pecu-
liar emphasis with which the words were spoken, and the
peculiar expression of the man's countenance as he uttered
them, which constituted the ambiguity; the words simply
imphed that the Pensacola had been boarded ; the look spoke
volumes, but the volumes were written in an unknown
tongue, so far as we at least were concerned.

"What is the Vestale likef was Smellie's next question.

"Just as like the Black Verms as two peas in a pod," was
the reply, given with evident quiet amusement.

"And how was she painted 1" persisted Smellie

"Ah, there now, stranger, you've puzzled me!" was the
unexpected answer.

" Why ? jyid you not say you saw her ? " queried Smellie
sharply.

"No, I guess not; I didn't say anything of the sort. I

was ashore when her people boarded me. It was my mate
that told me about it."

"Your mate? Can we see himf exclaimed Smellie
eagerly.

QUITE ACCOMMODATING. 91

"Yes, I reckon," was the reply. "He's ashore now; but

you've only to pull about five miles up the creek, and I cal-
culate you'll find him somewheres."

" Thanks !" answered Smellie. " I'm afraid we can't spare
the time for that. Can you tell me which of the two brigs
— the Vesfale or the Black Venus — sailed first from the
river 'i "

" Wall, stranger, I'd like to help you all I could, I really
would; but," with his hand wandering thoughtfully over his
forehead, ** I really can't for the life of me remember just
now which of 'em it was."

The fellow was lying ; I could see it, and so could Smellie ;
but we could not, of course, tell him so; and we accordingly
thanked him for his information and rose to go, with an

uncomfortable feeling that we had received certain informa-
tion, part of which was probably true whilst part was im-
doubtedly false, and that we were wholly without the means
of distinguishing the one from the other.

We returned to the Daphne with our information, such
as it was; and Smellie at once made his report to the
skipper. A consultation foUowed in which the first lieu-
tenant took part, and at the end of half an hour the three
officers reappeared on deck, and the captain's gig was piped
away.

Being suspicious, as I have already remarked, that some-
thing unusual was brewing, I remained on deck during the
progress of this conference, so as to be at hand in the event
of my services being required ; and the Pensacola happening
to be the most prominent object in the landscape, she natu-
rally came in for a large share of my attention during the

92 SUSPICIOUS SIGNALLING.

progress of the discussion above referred to. She was flying
no colours wheft we anchored in such close proximity to her,
a circumstance which I attributed to the fact that she was,
to all appearance, the only vessel in the river, and I was,
therefore, not much surprised when, a short time after our
visit to her, I observed her skipper go aft and run up the
American ensign to his gaff-end. But I was a little surprised
when he followed this up by hoisting a small red swallow-
tailed flag to his main royal-mast head. I asked myself
what could be the meaning of this move on his part, and it
did not take me very long to arrive at the conclusion that
it was undoubtedly meant as a signal of some sort to some-
body or. other. He was scarcely likely to do such a thing
for the gratification of a mere whim. And if it was a signal,

what did it mean 1 and to whom was it made ? There was
of course the possibility that it was a prearranged signal to
his absent mate; but, taken in conjunction with the fact
that it was exhibited almost immediately after our visit to
his ship, coupled with the other fact of his obvious attempt
to keep us in the dark with respect to certain matters, I was
greatly disposed to regard it rather as a warning signal to a
vessel or vessels concealed in one or other of the numerous
creeks which we knew to exist in our immediate vicinity.
Accordingly, on the reappearance of the second Heutenant
on deck, I stepped up to him and directed his attention to
the suspicious -looking red flag, and mentioned my surmises
as to its meaning.

" Thank you, Mr. Hawkesley," said he. " I have no doubt
it ts a signal of some kind; but what it means we have no
possible method of ascertaining, and, moreover, it suits our

A SPORTING expedition! 93

purpose just now to take no notice of it. By the way, are
you anything of a shot ? "

"Pretty fair," I replied. "I can generally bring down a
bird upon the wing if it is not a very long shot."

"Then put your pistols in your belt, provide yourself
with a fowling-piece (I will lend you one), and be in readi-
ness to go with us in the gig. We are bound upon a sport-
ing expedition."

I needed no second invitation, but hurried away at once
to make the necessary preparations; albeit there was a
something in Mr. Smellie's manner which led me to think
that sport was perhaps after all a mere pretext, and that
the actual object of our cruise was something much more
serious.

A few minutes suflSced to complete my preparations, and

when I again stepped on deck, gun in hand, Captain Vernon
and Mr. Smellie were standing near the gangway rathei
ostentatiously engaged — in full view of the American skipper
-in examining their gun-locks, snapping off caps, and so on;
whilst the steward was in the act of passing down over the
side — with strict injunctions to those in the boat to be care-
ful in the handling of it — a capacious basket of provisions
with a snow-white cloth protruding out over its sides. The
precious basket being at length safely deposited in the gig's
stern-sheets, I followed it down the side; the second lieu-
tenant came next, and the skipper bringing up the rear,
we hoisted our lug-sail, the sea-breeze blowing strongly up
the river, and shoved off; our motions being intently scru-
tinized by the Yankee skipper as long as we could make
him out

94 I BRING DOWN MY GAME.

m

We had scarcely gone a quarter of a mile before a noble
crane came sailing across our course with his head tucked
in between his shoulders, his long stilt-like legs projecting
astern of him, and his slowly-flapping wings almost touching
the water at every stroke.

"There's a chance for you, Hawkesley," exclaimed our
genial second luff; "let drive at him. All is fish that comes
to our net so long as we are within range of the Yankee's
telescope; fire at everything you see."

I raised my gun, pulled the trigger, and down dropped
the crane into the water with a broken wing.

" Very neatly done," exclaimed the skipper approvingly.
" Pick up the bird, Thomson " — to the coxswain.

The unfortunate bird was duly picked up and hauled into
the boat, though not without inflicting a rather severe wound
with its long sharp beak on the hand of the man who grasped
it; and we continued our course.

On reaching the mouth of the creek we hauled sharp
round the projecting point, and shaped a course up and
across toward the opposite side of the stream, steering for
a low densely- wooded spit which jutted out into the river
some eight miles distant The tide, which was rising, was
in our favour, and in an hour from the time of emerging
from the creek into the main stream we had reached our
destination; the boat shot into a water-way about a cable's
length in width, the sail was lowered, the mast unstepped,
and the men, taking to their oars, proceeded to paddle the
boat gently up the creek.

We proceeded up this creek a distance of about two miles,
when, coming suddenly upon a small branch, or tributary,

THE BOAT CONCEALED. 96

well suited as a place of concealment for the boat, she was
headed into it, and — after proceeding along the narrow canal
for a distance of perhaps one hundred yards — hauled along-
side the bank and secured.

CHAPTER VII.

MR. SMELLIE MAKES A UTTLE SURVEY.

IVING the gig's crew strict injunctions not to
leave their boat for a moment upon any con-
sideration, but to hold themselves in readiness
to shove off on the instant of our rejoining
them — should a precipitate retreat prove necessary — Captain
Vernon and Mr. Smeliie stepped ashore with a request that
I would accompany them.

The channel or canal in which the gig was now lying was
about fifty feet wide, with a depth of water of about eight
feet at the point to which we had reached. Its banks were
composed of soft black foetid mud in a semi-liquid state, ^o
that in order to land it was necessary for us to make our
way as best we could for a distance of some two hundred
feet over the roots of the mangrove trees which thickly
bordered the stream, before we were enabled to place our
feet on solid ground.

Beyond the belt of mangroves the soil was densely covered
with that heterogeneous jumble of parasitic creepers of all
descriptions spoken of in Africa by the generic denomination
of " bush," thickly interspersed with trees, many of which

THROUGH THE BUSH. 97

were of large size. Path there was none, not even the
faintest traces of a footprint in the dry sandy soil to show
that humanity had ever passed over the ground before us.
It may be that ours were the first human footsteps which
had ever pressed the soil in that particular spot; at all events
it looked very much like it, and we had not travelled one
hundred feet before we became fully impressed with the
necessity for carefully marking our route if we had the
slightest desire to find our way back again. This task was
intrusted to me, and I accomplished it by cutting a twig
half through, and then bending it downwards until a long
light strip of the inner wood was exposed. This I did at
distances of about a yard apart all along our route, whilst
the skipper and Smellie went ahead and forced a passage
for the party through the thick undergrowth.

The general direction of our route was about S.S.W., as
nearly as the skipper could hit it off with the aid of a pocket
compass, and it took us more than two hours to accomplish
a journey of a^ many miles through the thick tangled
undergrowth This brought us out close to the water's
edge again, and we saw before us a canal about a cable's
length across, which the skipper said he was certain was a
continuation of the one we had entered in the gig. About
a mile distant, on the opposite side of the canal, could be
seen the tops of the hills which we had noticed on the
occasion of our first exploration of the river.

Here, as at the point of our landing, the banks of the canal
consisted of black slimy foetid mud, out of which grew a
belt of mangroves, their curious twisted roots straggling in
a thick complicated mass of net- work over the slime beneath.

(290) Q

98 A WELCOME REST.

The sun was shining brilliantly down through the richly
variegated foliage on the opposite bank of the stream, and
lighting up the surface of the thick turbid water as it rolled

J

sluggishly past; but where we stood— just on the inner
edge of the mangrove swamp — everything was enshrouded
in a sombre green twilight, and an absolute silence prevailed
all round us, which was positively oppressive in its intensity.
Breathless, perspiring, and exhausted with our unwonted
exertions, we flung ourselves upon the ground for a moment's
rest, during which the skipper and Smellie sought solace
and refreshment in a cigar. As for me, not having at that
time contracted the habit of smoking, I was contented to sit
still and gaze with admiring eyes upon the weird beauty of
my surroundings.

For perhaps a quarter of an hour my companions gave
themselves up to the silent enjoyment of their cigars, but
at the end of that time the skipper, turning to Smellie,
said:

" I think this must be the creek to which we have been
directed; but there are so many of these inlets, creeks, and
canals on this side of the river — and on the other side also
for that matter — that one cannot be at all certain about it.
I would have explored the place thoroughly in the gig, and
so have saved the labour of all this scrambling through the
bush, but for the fact that if we are right, and any slave
craft happen to be lurking here — as our Yankee friend's
suspicious conduct leads me to believe may be the case —
there would be a great risk of our stumbling upon them
unawares, and so giving them the alarm. And even if we
escaped that mischance I have no doubt but that they keep

A PRACTICAL PROPOSITION. 99

sentinels posted here and there on the look-out, and we
could hardly hope that the boat would escape being sighted
by one or other of them. If there are any craft hereabout,
we may rest assured that they are fully aware of the pres-
ence of the Daphne in the river; but I am in hopes that our
ruse of openly starting as upon a sporting expedition has
thrown dust in their eyes for once, and that we may be able
to steal near enough to get a sight of them without exciting
their suspicions."

" It would be worth all our trouble if we cotUd do so,"
responded Smellie. " But I don't half like this blind groping
about in the bush; to say nothing of the tremendously hard
work which it involves there is a very good chance, it seems
to me, of our losing ourselves when we attempt to make our
way back And then, again, we are quite uncertain how
much further we may have to go in order to complete our
search satisfactorily. Do you not think it would be a good
plan for one of us to shin up a tree and take a look round
before we go any further? There are some fine tall trees
here close at hand, from the higher branches of which one
ought to be able to get a pretty extensive view."

"A very capital idea!" assented the skipper. "We will
act upon it at once. There, now," pointing to a perfect
forest giant only a few yards distant, " is a tree admirably
suited to our purpose. Come, Mr. Hawkesley, you are the
youngest, and ought therefore to be the most active of the
trio; give us a specimen of your tree-climbing powers. Just
shin up aloft as high as you can go, take a good look round,
and let us know if you can see anything worth looking at."
. "Ay ay, sir," I responded; "but — " with a somewhat

100 TREE CLIMBING UNDER DIFFICULTIES.

blank look at the tall, straight, smooth stem to which he
pointed, "where are the ratlines?"

"Ratlines, you impudent young monkey I" responded
the skipper with a laugh; "why, an active young fellow
like you ought to make nothing of going up a spar like
that"

But when we reached the tree it became evident that the

task of climbing it was not likely to prove so easy as the
skipper had imagined; for the bole was fully fifteen feet in
circumference, with not a branch or protuberance of any
description for the first sixty feet.

The second lieutenant, however, was equal to the occasion,
and soon showed me how the thing might be done. Whip-
ping out his knife, he quickly cut a long length of "monkey-
rope " or creeper, and twisting the tough pliant stem into a
grummet round the trunk of the tree, he bade me pass the
bight over my shoulders, and then showed me how, with its
aid, I might work myself gradually upward.

Accordingly, acting under his directions I placed myself
within the bight, and tucking it well up under my arm-pits,
slid the grummet up the trunk as high as it would go.
Then bearing back upon it, so that it supported my whole
weight, I worked my body upwards by pressing against the
tree-trunk with my knees. By this means I rose about two
feet from the ground. Then pressing against the tree firmly
with my feet I gave the grummet a quick jerk upward and
again worked myself up the trunk with my knees as before.
In this way I got along very well, and after an awkward slip
or two, in which my knees suffered somewhat and my
breeches still more, soon acquired the knack of the thing,

AN EXTENSIVE VIEW. 101

and speedily reached the lowermost branch, after which the
rest of my ascent was of course easy.

On reaching the topmost branches I found that the tree
I had climbed was indeed, as the skipper had aptly de-
scribed it, a forest giant ; it was by far the most lofty tree
in the neighbourhood, and from my commanding position I
had a fine uninterrupted prospect of many miles extent all
round me, except to the southward, where the chain of hills
before-mentioned shut in the view.

Away to the northward and eastward, in which direction
I happened to be facing when I at length paused to look
around me, I could catch glimpses of the river, over and be-
tween the intervening tree-tops, for a distance of quite twenty
miles, and from what I saw I came to the conclusion that

in that direction the river must widen out considerably and
be thickly studded with islands, among which I thought it
probable might be found many a snug lurking-place for
slave-craft On the extreme verge of the horizon I also dis-
tinctly made out a small group of hills, which I conjectured
to be situate on the northern or right bank of the river.
From these hills all the way round northerly, to about
north-north-west, the country was flat and pretty well
covered with bush; although at a distance of from two to
four nules inland I could detect here and there large open
patches of grass-land. Bearing about N.N.w. from my point
of observation was another chain of hills which stretched
along the sea-coast outside the river's mouth, and extended
beyond the horizon. To the left of them again, or about
N.w. from me, lay Banana Creek, its entrance about eleven
miles distant, and over the intervening tree-tops on Boolam-

102 THE CONGO, AS SEEN FROM A TREE tOP.

bemba Island I could, so clear was the atmosphere just
then, distinctly make out the royal-mast heads of the Daphfie
and the American barque; I could even occasionally detect
the gleam of the sloop's pennant as it waved idly in the
sluggish breeze. Still further to the left there lay the river's
mouth, with the ripple which marked the junction between
the fresh and the salt water clearly visible. Next came
Shark Point, with the open sea stretching mile after mile
away beyond it, until its gleaming surface became lost in the
ruddy afternoon haze, and on the inner side of the point
I could trace, without much difficulty, the course of the
various creeks which we had explored in the boat on the
occasion of our first visit. Looking below me, I allowed my
eye to travel along the course of the stream or canal which
flowed past almost under my feet, and following it along I
saw that it forked at a point about three miles to the west-
ward, and turned suddenly northward at a point about three
miles further on, the branch and the stream itself eventually
joining the river, and forming with it two islands of about
five and three miles in length respectively, the larger of the
two being that which we had so laboriously crossed that
same afternoon.

The view which lay spread out below and around me was
beautiful as a dream; it would have formed a fascinating
study for a painter; but whatever art-instincts may have been
awakened within me upon my first glance round were
quickly put to flight by a scene which presented itself at a
point only some three miles away. At that distance the
channel or stream below me forked, as I have already said,
and at the point of divergence of the two branches the water

SOMETHING WORTH LOOKING AT. 103

way broadened out until it became quite a mile wide,

forming as snug a little harbour as one need wish to see.

And in this harbour, perfectly concealed from all prying

eyes which might happen to pass up or down the river, lay

a brig, a brigantine, and a schooner, three as rakish-looking

craft as could well be met with. Their appearance alone

was almost sufficient to condemn them; but a huge barrar

coon standing in a cleared space close at hand, and a crowd

of blacks huddled together on the adjacent bank, apparently

in course of shipment on board one or other of the craft in

sight, put their character quite beyond question.

A hail from below reminded me that there were others

who would feel an interest in my discovery.

" Well, Mr. Hawkesley, is there anything in sight, from

your perch aloft there, worth looking atl" came floating up

to me in the skipper's voice.

" Yes, sir, indeed there is. There are three craft in the
creek away yonder, in the very act of shipping negroes at
this moment," I replied

"The deuce there are!" ejaculated the skipper, "Which
do you think will be the easier plan of the two : to climb the
tree, or to make our way through the bush to the spot?"

" You will find it much easier to climb the tree, I think,
sir. You can be alongside me in five minutes, whilst it will
take us nearly two hours, I should say, to make our way to
them through the bush," I replied.

"Very well; hold on where you are then. We will tackle
the tree," returned the skipper.

And, looking down, I saw him and the second lieutenant
forthwith whip out their knives and begin hacking away at

104 DRAWING A CHART.

a creeper, wherewith to make grummets to assist them in
their attempt at tree-cHmbing.

In a few minutes the twain were alongside me, and — in
happy forgetfuhiess of the ruin wrought upon their unmen-
tionables in the process of "shinning" aloft — eagerly noting
through their telescopes the operations in progress on board
the slavera

" They seem very busy there," observed the skipper with
his eye still peering through the tube of his telescope.
" You may depend on it, Mr. Smellie, the rascals have got
wind of our presence in the river, and intend trying to slip
out past us to-night as soon as the fog settles down. I'll
be bound they know every inch of the river, and could find
their way out blindfold 1 "

" No doubt of it, sir," answered the second luff " But it
is not high-water until two o'clock to-morrow morning, so
that I suspect they will not endeavour to make a move until
about an hour after midnight. That will enable them to go

out on the top of the flood, and with a strong land-breeze in
their favour."

"So much the better," returned Captain Vernon, with
sparkling eyes. " But we will take care to have the boats
in the creek in good time. You never know where to have
these fellows; they are as cunning as foxes. Please note
their position as accurately as you can, Mr. Smellie, for I
intend you to lead the attack to-night."

"Thank you, sir," answered Smellie delightedly; and
planting himself comfortably astride a branch, he drew out
a pencil and paper and proceeded to make a very careful
sketch-chart of the river-mouth, Banana Creek, and the

HOW IT IS DONE. 105

creek in wliich the slavers were lying; noting the bearings
carefully with the aid of a pocket compass.

''There, sir," said he, when he had finished, showing the
sketch to the skipper; " that will enable me to find them, I
think, let the night be as dark or as thick as it may. How
do you think it looks for accuracy 1 "

"Capital!" answered Captain Vernon approvingly; "you
really have a splendid eye for proportion and distance,
Mr. Smellie. That little chart might almost have been
drawn to scale, so correct does it look. How in the world
do you manage it ? "

"It is all custom," was the reply. "I make it an inva-
riable rule to devote time and care enough to such sketches
as this to ensure their being as nearly accurate as possible.

I have devised a few rules upon which I always work; and

the result is generally a very near approximation to absolute
accuracy. But the sun is getting low; had we not better be
moving, sir?"

" By all means, if you are sure you have all the infonna-
tion you need," was the reply. " I would not miss my way
in that confounded jungle to-night for anything. It would
completely upset all our arrangements,"

" To say nothing of the possibility of our affording a meal
to some of the hungry carnivora which probably lurk in the
depths of the said jungle," thought I. But I held my peace,
and dutifully assisted my superior officers to eifect their
descent.

It was decidedly easier to go up than to go down ; but we
accomplished our descent without accident, and after a long
and wearisome tramp back through the bush found ourselves

106 I AM MADE HAPPY.

once more on board the gig just as the last rays of the sun
were gilding the tree-tops. The tide had now turned, and
was therefore again in our favour; and in an hour from the
time of our emerging upon the main stream we reached the
sloop, just as the first faint mist-wreaths began to gather
upon the bosom of the river.

I was exceedingly anxious to be allowed to take part in
the forthcoming expedition and had been eagerly watching,
all the way across the river, for an opportunity to ask the
necessary permission; but Captain Vernon had been so
earnestly engaged in discussing with Smellie the details and
arrangements for the projected attack that I had been unable
to do so. On reaching the ship, however, the opportunity
came. As we went up over the side the skipper turned and
said:

" By the way, Mr. Smellie, I hope you — and you also,
Mr. Hawkesley — will give me the pleasure of your company
to dinner this evening]"

Smellie duly bowed his acceptance of the invitation and I
was about to follow suit when an idea struck me and I

said;

" I shall be most happy, sir, if ray acceptance of your kind
invitation will not interfere with my taking part in to-night's
boat expedition. I have been watching for an opportunity
to ask your permission, and I hope you will not refuse
me."

"Oh! that's it^ is iti" laughed the skipper. «I thought
you seemed confoundedly fidgety in the boat Well — I
scarcely know what to say about it; it will be anything but
child's play, I can assiare you. Still, you are tall and strong,

A NAVAL DINNER PARTY. 107

and — ^there, I suppose I must say *yes.* And now run away
and shift your damaged rigging as quickly as possible;
dinner will be on the table in ten minutes."

I murmured my thanks and forthwith dived below to
bend a fresh pair of pantaloons, those I had on being in so
dilapidated a condition — what with the tree-climbing and
our battle with the thorns and briers of the bush — as to be
in fact scarcely decent.

The conversation at the dinner-table that night was of a
very animated character, but as it referred entirely to the
projected attack upon the slavers I will not inflict any
portion of it upon the reader. Mr. Austin, the first lieu-
tenant, was at first very much disappointed when he found
he was not to lead the boat expedition; but he brightened

up a bit when the skipper pointed out to him that in all
probability the slavers would slip their cables and endeavour
to make their escape from the river on finding themselves
attacked by the boats; in which case the cream of the fun
would fall to the share of those left on board the sloop.

Mr. Smellie — who was at all times an abstemious man
contented himself with a couple of glasses of wine after
dinner, and, the moment that the conversation took a
general turn, rose from the table, excusing himself upon the
plea that he had several matters to attend to in connection
with the expedition. As he rose he caught my eye and
beckoned me to follow him, which I did after duly making
my bow to the company.

When we reached the deck the fog was so thick that it
was as much as we could do to see the length of the ship.

"Just as I expected," remarked my companion. "How

108 WHERE AWAY IS THE CREEK?

are we to find the creek in such weather as this, Mr.

Hawkesley?"

" I am sure I don't know, sir," I replied, looking round

F

me in bewilderment. " I suppose the expedition will have

to be postponed until it clears a bit."

" Not if I can prevent it," said he with energy. "Although,"

he added,*a little doubtfully, "it certainly is very thick, and

with the slightest deviation from our course we should be

irretrievably lost Whereaway do you suppose the creek

tobel"

"Oh, somewhere in that direction!" said I, pointing over

the starboard quarter.

" You are wrong," remarked my companion, looking into

the binnacle. " The tide is slackening, whilst the land-breeze

is freshening; so that the ship has swung with her head to

the eastward, and the direction in which you pointed leads

straight out to sea. Now, if you want to learn a good

useful lesson — one which may prove of the utmost value to

you in after-life — come below with me to the master, and

between us we will show you how to find that creek in the

fog."

"Thank you," said I, "I shall be very glad to learn.

Why, you do not even know its compass-bearing."

" No," said Smellie, " but we will soon find it out."

With that we descended to the master's cabin, where we

found the owner in his shirt-sleeves and with a pipe in his

mouth, poring over a chart of the coast on which was shown

the mouth of the river only, its inland course being shown

by two dotted lines, indicating that the portion thus marked

had never been properly surveyed. He was busily engaged

MILDMAY EXPECTED US! 109

as we entered laying down in pencil upon this chart certain
corrections and remarks with reference to the ebb and flow
of the tidal current.

"Good evening, gentlemen!" said he as we entered.
"Well, Mr. Smellie, so you are going to lead the attack
upon the slavers to-night, I hear."

" Yes," said Smellie, unconsciously straightening himself
up, "yes, if this fog does not baffle us. And in order that
it may not, I have come to invoke your assistance, Mr.
Mild may."

"All right, Birl" said old Mildmay. "I expected you; I
was waiting for you, sir."

"That's all right," said the second lieutenant. "Now,
Mildmay," bending over the chart, "whereabouts is the

Da;phne ? "

"There she is," replied the master, placing the point of
his pencil carefully down on the chart and twisting it round
so as to produce a black mark.

" Very good," assented Smellie. " Now, look here, Mr.
Hawkesley, this is where your lesson begins." And he
produced the sketch-chart he had made that afternoon and
spread it out on the table.

" You will see from this sketch," he proceeded, " that the
Daphne bore exactly N.N.w. from the tree in which we were
perched when I made it. AYhich is equivalent to saying
that the tree bears s.s.e. from the Daphne; is it not] "

I assented.

"Very well, then," continued Smellie. "Be so good, Mr.
Mildmay, as to draw a line s.s.e. from that pencil-mark
which represents the Daphne on your chart."

110 HOW WE FOUND IT ALL OUT.

The master took his parallel ruler and did so.

" So far, so good," resumed the second lieutenant. "Now
my sketch shows that the outer extremity of Shark Point
bore from the tree N.w. J w. In other words, the tree bears
from Shark Point S.E. ^ E. Lay off that bearing, Mildmay,
if you please,"

"Very good," he continued, when this second line had
been drawn. "Now it is evident that the point where

these two lines intersect must be the position of the tree.

But, as a check upon these two bearings I took a third to

that sharp projecting point at the mouth of Banana Creek,"

indicating with the pencil on the chart the point in question.

"That point bears n.w. by n.; consequently the tree bears

from it &E. by S- Mark that off also, Mildmay, if you

please."

The master did so, and the three lines were found to
intersect each other at exactly the same point

"Capital!" exclaimed Smellie, in high good -humour.
"That satisfactorily establishes the exact position of the
tree. Now for the next step. The slave fleet bears N.w. J w.
from the tree; and the western entrance to the creek (that
by which we shall advance to the attack to-night) bears
exactly N.w. from the same point Let us lay down these
two bearings on the chart — thus. Now it is evident that
the slave fleet and the entrance to the creek are situate
somewhere or other on these two lines ; the question is — where ?
I will show you how I ascertained those two very important
bits of information if you will step to my cabin and bring

me the telescope which you will find hanging against the
bulkhead."

AN INTERESTING EXPLANATION. Ill

Intensely interested in this valuable practical lesson in
surveying I hurried away to do his bidding, and speedily
returned with the glass, a small but very powerful instru-
ment, which I had often greatly admired.

Taking the telescope from my hand he drew it open and
directed my attention to a long series of neat little numbered
lines scratched on the polished brass tube,

" You see these scratches ? " he said. " Very well ; now I
will explain to you what they are. When I was a midship-
man it was my good fortune to be engaged for a time on
certain surveying work, during which I acquired a tolerably
clear insight of the science. And after the work was over
and done with, it occurred to me that my knowledge might
be of the greatest use in cases similar to the present. Now
I may tell you, by way of explanation, that surveying
consists, broadly, in the measurement of angles and lines.
The angles are, as you have already seen, very easily taken
by means of a pocket-compass ; but the measurement of the
lines bothered me very considerably for a long time. Of
course you can measure a line with perfect accuracy by
means of a surveyor's chain, but I wanted something which,
if not quite so accurate as that, would be sufl&ciently correct,
while not occupying more than a few seconds in the opera-
tion of measurement. So I set to work and trained myself
to judge distances by the eye alone; and by constant diligent
practice I acquired quite a surprising amount of proficiency.
And let me say here, I would very strongly recommend you
and every young officer to practise the same thing ; you will
be surprised when you discover in how many unexpected
ways it wlU be found useful. Well, I managed to do a great

112 A NOVEL SYSTEM OF MEASUREMENT.

deal of serviceable work even in this rough-and-ready way;
but after a time I grew dissatisfied with it — I wanted some
means of measuring which should be just as rapid but a
great deal more accurate. I thought the matter over for a
long time, and at last hit upon the idea of turning the tele-
scope to account. The way I did it was this. You have, of
course, found that if you look through your telescope at an
object, say, half a mile away, and then direct the instrument
to another object, say, four miles off, you have to alter the
focus of the glass before you can see the second object dis-
tinctly. It was this peculiarity which I pressed into my ser-
vice as a means of measuring distances. My first step was to
secure a small, handy, but first-rate telescope — the best I could
procure for money; and, provided with this, I commenced
operations by looking through it at objects, the exact
distances of which from me I knew. I focused the glass
upon them carefully, and then made a little scratch on the
tube showing how far it had been necessary to draw it out
in order to see the object distinctly ; and then I marked the
scratch with the distance of the object. You see," pointing
to the tube, " I have a regular scale of distances here, from
one hundred yards up to ten miles; and these scratches, let
me tell you, represent the expenditure of a vast amount of
time and labour. But they are worth it alL For instance,
I want to ascertain the distance of an object. I direct the
telescope toward it, focus the instrument carefully, and find
that I can see it most clearly when the tube is drawn out
to, say, this distance," suiting the action to the word. " I
then look at the scale scratched on the tube, and find that
it reads six thousand one hundred feet — which is a few feet

THE RESULT OF THE SURVEY. 113

over one nautical mile. And thus I measure all my distances,
and am so enabled to make a really satisfactory little survey
in a few minutes as in the case of this afternoon. You must
not suppose, however, that I am able to measure in this way
with absolute accuracy; I am not; but I manage to get a
very near approximation to it, near enough for such purposes
as the present. Thus, within the distance of a quarter of a
mile I have found that I can always measure within two
feet of the actual distance; beyond that and up to half a
mile I can measure within four feet of the actual distance;
and so on up to ten miles, which distance I can measure to
within four hundred feet.

" And now to return to the business in hand. My tele-
scope informed me that the slave fleet was anchored at a dis-
tance of eighteen thousand three hundred feet (or a shade
over three nautical miles) from the tree, and that the western
entrance to the creek is twenty-eight thousand nine hundred
feet (or about four and three-quarter nautical miles) from
the same spot. We have now only to mark off these two
distances on the two compass-bearings which we last laid
down on the chart : thus " — measuring and marking off the
distances as he spoke — "and here we have the position of
the slavers and of the entrance to the creek; and by a mo-
ment's use of Mildmay's parallel ruler — thus — we get the
compass bearing of the entrance from the Daphne. There
it is — S.E. by e.; and now we measure the distance from
one to the other, and find it to be — eight miles, as nearly as
it is possible to measure it. Thus, you see, my rough-and
ready survey of this afternoon affords us the means of ascer-
taining our course and distance from the Daphne to a point

(290) H

114 MILDMAY HAS A DAY'S FISHING,

for which we should otherwise have been obliged to search,
and which we could not possibly have hoped to find in the
impenetrable fog which now overspreads the river."

" Thank you, Mr. Smellie," said I, highly delighted with
the lesson I had received; "if it will not be troubling you
too much I think I must ask you to give me a lesson or two
in surveying when you can spare the time."

" I shall be very pleased," was the reply. " Never hesi-
tate to come to me for any information or instruction which
you think I may be able to afford you, I shall always be
happy to help you on in your studies to the utmost extent
of my ability. But we have not quite finished yet, and it is
now, Mildmay, that I think you may perhaps be able to help
us. You see we shall have to pull — or sail, as the case may
be — across the current, and it will therefore be necessary to
make some allowance for its set. Now do you happen to
know anything about the speed of the current in the
river f'

" Not half so much as I should like," replied the master;
"but a hint which the skipper dropped this morning caused
me to take the dinghy and go away out in mid-stream to
spend the day in fishing — ha — ha — ha! The Yankee had his
glass turned full upon me, off and on, the whole morning —
so I*m told — and if so I daresay he saw that I had some
fairly good sport. But I wasn't so busy with my hooks and
lines but that I found time to ascertain that the ebb-stream
runs at a rate of about four knots at half -tide; and just
abreast of us it flows to seaward at the rate of about one
knot at half-flood; the salt water flowing tnfe the river along
the bottom, and the fresh water continuing to flow outwards

"EXACTLY SOUTH-EAST." 115

on the surface. Now, at what time do you propose to
start?"

"About half-past nine to-night," answered Smellie.

Old Mildmay referred to a book by his side, and then
said:

" Ah I then you will have about two hours' ebb to contend
with — the last two hours of the ebb-tide. Now let me see "

and he produced a sheet of paper on which were some
calculations, evidently the result of his observations whilst
*-Sshing." He ran over these carefully, and then said:

"How long do you expect it will take you to cross?"

" Two hours, if we have to pull across — as I expect we
shall," answered the second lieutenant.

"Two hours!" mused the master. "Twohomrs! Then
you'll have to make allowance, sir, for an average set to sea-
ward of two miles an hour all the way across, or four miles

in alL"

"Very well," said Smellie. "Then to counteract that we
must shape our course for a point four miles above that which
marks the entrance to the creek — must we not, Mr. Hawkes-

ley]"

"Certainly," I said; "that is quite clear."

" Then be so good as to lay that course down on the
chart. "

I measured off a distance of four miles with the dividers,
and marked it off above the mouth of the creek; then ap-
plied the parallel ruler and found the course.

"It is exactly S.E.," said I; "and it will take us close
past the southern extremity of this small island."

"That is quite right," remarked Smellie, who had been

116 OMINOUS PREPARATION&

watching me; "and if we happen to sight the land in pass-
ing that point it will be an assurance that, so far, we have
been steering our proper course. But — bless me" — looking
at his watch — "it is a quarter after nine. I had no idea it
was so late. Run away, Mr. Hawkesley, and make your
preparations. Put on your worst suit of clothes, and throw
your pearjacket into the boat. You may be glad to have it
when we get into the thick of that damp fog. Bring your
pistols, but not your dirk; a ship's cutlass, with which the
armourer wfll supply you, will be much more serviceable for
the work we have in hand to-night.

I hastened away, and reached the deck again just in time
to see the men going down the side into the boats after
undergoing inspection.

CHAPTER VIIL

WK ATTACK THE SLAVERS.

HE attacking flotilla was composed of the launch,
under Mr. Smellie, with me for an aide; the
first cutter, in charge of Mr. Annitage, the
third lieutenant; and the second cutter, in

charge of Mr. Williams, the master's mate ; the force con-
sisting of forty seamen and four officers — quite strong
enough, in Captain Vernon's opinion, to give a satisfactory
account of the three slavers, which, it was arranged, we
were to attack simultaneously, one boat to each vessel.

The last parting instructions having been given to Smellie
by the skipper, and rounded off with a hearty hand-shake
and an earnest exclamation of "I wish you success;" with a
still more hearty hand-shake and a "Good-bye, Harold, old
boy; good luck attend you!" from Mr. Austin, the second
lieutenant motioned me into the launch; followed me closely
down; the word to shove off was given, and away we went
punctually at half-past nine to the minute.

The fog was still as thick as ever; so thick, indeed, that
it was as much as we could do to see one end of the boat
from the other; and, notwithstanding the care with which,

U7

118 ALL QUIET,

as I had had an opportunity of seeing, the second lieutenant
had worked out all his calculations, I own that it seemed to
me quite hopeless to expect that we should find the place
of which we were in search. Nevertheless, we pushed out
boldly into the opaque darkness, and the boats' heads were
at once laid in the required direction, each coxswain steering
by compass, the lighted binnacle containing which had been
previously masked with the utmost care. Our object being

to take the slavers by surprise the oars were of course muf-
fled, and the strictest silence enjoined. Thus there was
neither light nor sound to betray our whereabouts, and we
slid over the placid surface of the river almost as noiselessly
as so many mist-wreaths.

In so dense a fog it was necessary to adopt unusual pre-
cautions in order to prevent the boats from parting com-
pany. We therefore proceeded in single file, the launch
leading, with the first cutter attached by her painter, the
second cutter, in her turn, attached by her painter to the
first cutter, bringing up the rear. The cutters were ordered
to regulate their speed so that the connecting rope between
each and the boat ahead should be just slack enough to dip
into the water and no more, thus insuring that each boat's
crew should do its own fair share of work at the oars.

Once fairly away from the ship's side we were immediate-
ly swallowed up by the impenetrable mist ; and for a con-
siderable time the flotilla glided gently along, without a sight
or sound to tell us whether we were going right or wrong ;
without the utterance of a word on board either of the boats;
and with only the slight muffled sound of the oars in the
rowlocks and the gurgle of the water along the boats' sides

NIGHT TIME ON THE RIVER. Il9

to tell that we were moving at all. The silence would have
been oppressive but for the slight murmuring swirl and
ripple of the great river and the chirping of the countless
millions of insects which swarmed in the bush on both
banks of the stream. The latter sent forth so remarkable
a volume of sound that when first told it was created by
insects alone I found my credulity taxed to its utmost
limit; and it was not until I was solemnly assured by Mr.
Austin that such was the case that I quite believed it. It
was not unlike the "whirr" of machinery, save that it rose
and fell in distinct cadences, and occasionally — as if by pre-
concerted arrangement on the part of every individual in-
sect in the district — stopped altogether for a few moments.
Then, indeed, the silence became weird, oppressive, uncanny;
making one involuntarily shuffle nearer to one's neighbour
and glance half-fearfully over one's shoulder. Then, after a
slight interval, a faint, far-off signal chirp! chirp! would be
heard, and in an instant the whole insect-world would burst
into full chorus once more, and the air would fairly vibrate
with sound. But the night had other voices than this.
Mingled with the chirr oi the insects there would occasion-
ally float off to us the snarling roar of some forest savage,
the barking call of the deer, the yelping of a jackal, the
blood-curdling cry of a hyena, the grunt of a hippopotamus,
the weird cry of some night-bird; and — nearer at hand,
sometimes apparently within a yard or so of the boats-
sundry mysterious puffings and blowings, and sudden faint
splashings of the water, which latter made me for one, and
probably many of the others who heard them, feel particu-
larly uncomfortable, especially if they happened to occur in

120 **WHO SPOKE ]"

one of the brief intervals of silence on shore. Once, in par-
ticular, during one of those silent intervals, my hair fairly
bristled as the boat was suddenly but silently brought up
all standing by coming into violent collision with some ob-
ject which broke water directly imder our bowsj the shock
being instantly followed by a long moaning sigh and a tre-
mendous swirl of the water as the creature — whatever it
was — sank again beneath the surface of the river.

The men in the launch were, like myself^ considerably
startled at the circumstance, and one of them — an Irishman

■exclaimed, in the first paroxysm of his dismay :

"Howly ropeyams! what was that? Is it shipwrecked,
stranded, and cast away we are on the back of a say-croco-
dile ? Thin, Misther Crocodile, let me tell yez at wanst that
I'm not good to ate; Txa so sthrongly flavoured wid the
tibaccy that I*d be shure to disagray wid yez."

This absurd exclamation appealed so forcibly to the men's
sense of the ridiculous that it had the instant efiect of steady-
ing their nerves and raising a hearty laugh, which, however,
was as instantly checked by Smellie, who, though he could
not restrain a smile, exclaimed sharply :

" Silence, fore and aft! How dare you cry out in that
ridiculous fashion, Flanaghan ? I have a good mind to re-
port you, sir, as soon as we return to the ship."

" fVho shall say how many of its will live to return?"

"Merciful God! who spoke?" hoarsely cried the second
lieutenant. And well he might. The words were uttered
in a sound scarcely above a whisper, in so low a tone, indeed,
that but for Smellie's startled ejaculation I should almost
have been inclined to accept them as prompted by my own

startled! 121

excited imagination ; yet I saw in an instant that every man
in the boat had heard them and was as much startled as
myself. Who had uttered them, indeed 1 Every man's
look, as his horrified glance sought his neighbour's face,
asked the same question. Nobody seemed to have recog-
nized or to be able to identify the voice ; and the strangest
thing about it was that it did not appear to have been spoken
in the boat at all, but from a point close at hand.

The men had, with one accord, laid upon their oars in
the first shock of this new surprise, and before they had
recovered themselves the first cutter had ranged up alongside.

*'Did anyone speak on board you, Armitage?" asked
Smellie.

" No, certainly not," was the reply.

" Did you hear anyone speak on board the second cutter

then?" followed.

"No; I heard nothing. Whyl"

" No matter," muttered the second lieutenant. Then, in

a low but somewhat louder tone :

" Give way, launches; someone has been trying to play a
trick upon us."

The men resumed their work at the oars; but an occasional
scarcely heard whisper reaching my ears and suggesting
rather than conveying such fragmentary sentences as "Some
of us doomed" — "Lose the number of our mess," &c. &c.,
showed that a very unfortunate impression had been made
by the strange incident.

As we proceeded the second lieutenant began to consult
his watch, and at last, turning to me as he slipped it back
into his fob, he whispered :

123 A CLEVER LAND-FALL.

"A quarter after ten. We ought now to be close to
Boolambemba Point, but the fog keeps so dense that I am
afraid there is no chance of our sighting it."

The insect chorus had been silent for an unusually long
time when he spoke ; but as the words left Smellie's lips the
sounds burst out once more, this time in startling proximity

to our larboard hand.

" By George ! there it is, though, sure enough," continued
Smellie. "By the sharpness of the sound we must be close
aboard of the point. How is her head, coxswain ? "

Before the man could reply there came in a low murmur
from the men pulling the port oars:

"We're stirring up the mud here, sir, on the port hand."

And at the same moment, looking up, we became aware
that the darkness was deeper — more intense and opaque, as
it were, on our port hand than anywhere else.

"AH right!" answered Smellie; "that is the point, sure
enough, and very prettily we have hit it off. If we can only
make as good a shot at the mouth of the creek I shall be
more than satisfied. How have you been steering, cox-
swain?"

" South-east, sir, as straight as ever I could keep her."

" That's all right South-east is your course all the way
across. Now we are beginning to draw off from the point
and out into mid-stream, and there must be no more talking
upon any pretence whatever. The noise of the insects will
tell us when we are drawing in with the other bank. On a
night like this one has to be guided in a great measure by
BOimd, and even the chirp of the grasshoppers may be made
useful, Mr. Hawkesley."

THE MYSTERIOUS CANOE. 123

I murmured a whispered assent as in duty bound, and
then all hands relapsed into silence once more.

The men worked steadily away at the oars, not exerting
themselves to any great extent, but keeping the boat moving
at the rate of about four knots per hour. According to our
time-reckoning, and the fact that the volume of sound pro-
ceeding from the southern bank of the river had overpowered
that from the northern bank, we had accomplished rather
more than the half of our passage across the stream, when,
happening to raise my head upon emerging from a brown
study into which I had fallen, I thought I caught a momen-
tary glimpse of some object looming through the fog broad
on our port beam. I looked more earnestly still, and
presently felt convinced that there was something there.

Laying my hand on the second lieutenant's arm to call his

attention, I whispered :

" Can you see anjrthing out there, sir, abreast of us on our

port hand?"

Smellie looked eagerly in the indicated direction for some
moments, and then turning to the coxswain, whispered ;

" Starboard— hard ! "

The boat's helm was put over, her bows swept round; and
then I was certain that we were being watched, for as the
launch swerved out of her course the object became sud-
denly more distinct, only to vanish completely into the fog
next moment, however, its course being as suddenly and
promptly altered as our own, thus proving that there were
other eyes at least as sharp as ours. But that single momen-
tary glance had been sufficient to show me that the object
was a native canoe contaiuing three persons.

124 AN EMBARKASSING PROBLEM.

The second lieutenant was seriously disconcerted at this
discovery, and was evidently in great doubt as to whether it
would be more prudent to push on or to turn back If the
occupants of the canoe happened to be associated with the
slavers, and had been sent out as scouts in anticipation of an
attack from us, then there could be little doubt that it would
be wiser to turn back, since a light craft like a canoe could
easily reach the creek far enough ahead of us to give the
alarm, in which case we should find a warm reception pre-
pared for us; and in so dense a fog all the advantage would
be on the side of those manning the slave fleet.

On the other hand, the rencontre might possibly have been
purely accidental, and its occupants supremely indifferent to
the movements of ourselves and the slavers alike, in which
case it would be not only mortifying in the extreme but
possibly fatal to Smellie's prospects in the service if he
allowed himself to be frightened out of the advantage of so
excellent an opportunity for effecting a surprise.

It was a most embarrassing problem with which he thus

suddenly found himself brought face to face; but with a
brave man the question could not long remain an open one;
a few seconds sufiSced him to determine on proceeding and
taking our chance.

The sounds from the shore now rapidly increased in in-
tensity, and by and by we suddenly found that they proceeded
from both sides of the boats. Smellie drew out his watch
and consulted it by the light of the boat's binnacle. -

" Twenty minutes to twelve ! and we are now entering
the creek," he whispered to me.

The slavers, we knew, were anchored about two miles up

A PECULIAR SENSATION. 125

the creek, and the conviction suddenly smote me that in
another half-hour I should in all probability be engaged in
a fierce and deadly struggle. Somehow up to that moment
I had only regarded the attack as a remote possibility — a
something which might but was not very likely to happen.
I suppose I had unconsciously been entertaining a doubt as
to the possibihty of our finding the creek. Yet, there we
were in it, and nothing could now avert a combat, and more
or less bloodshed. Nothing, that is, except the exceedingly
unlikely circumstance of our finding the birds flown.

Did I wish this ? Was I afraid ?

Honestly, I am unable to say whether I was or not; but
I am inclined to acquit myself of the charge of cowardice.
My sensations were peculiar and rather unpleasant, I freely

admit; but looking back upon them now in the light of long
years of experience, I am disposed to attribute them entirely
to nervous excitement. Hitherto my nostrils had never
snified the odour of powder burned in anger; I was about
to undergo a perfectly new experience ; I was about to engage
with my fellow-men in mortal combat; to come face to face
with and within arm's-length of those who, if the opportunity
occurred, would take my life deliberately and without a
moment's hesitation. In a short half-hour I might be dying

or dead. As this disagreeable and inopportune reflection
flashed through my mind my heart throbbed violently, the
blood rushed to my head, and my breathing became so
laboured that I felt as though I was stifling. These dis-
agreeable — indeed I might more truthfully call them painful

■sensations lasted in their intensity perhaps as long as five
minutes, after which they rapidly subsided, to be succeeded

126 discovered!

by a feverish longing and impatience for the moment of
action. My excitement ceased; my breathing again became
regular; but the period of suspense — that period which only a
few minutes before had seemed so short — now felt as though
it were lengthening out to a veritable eternity, I wanted
to begin at once, to know the worst, and to get it over.

I had not much longer to wait. We had advanced about
a mile up the creek when a deep hoarse voice was heard
shouting something from the shore.

" Oars ! " exclaimed Smellie ; and the men ceased pulling.
"What was it the fellow said]" continued the second lieu-
tenant, turning to me.

" Haven't the slightest idea, but it sounded like Spanish,"
I replied.

The hail was repeated, but we could make nothing of it
Mr. Armitage, however, who boasted a slight knowledge of
Spanish, informed us — the first cutter having by this time
drifted up abreast of us — that it was a caution to us to
return at once or take the consequences.

" Oh! that's it, is iti" remarked Smellie. " Well, it seems
that we are discovered, so any further attempt at a surprise
is useless. Cast the boats adrift from each other, and we
will make a dash for it. Our best chance now is to board
and carry the three craft simultaneously with a rush — if we
can. Give way, ladsl"

The boats' painters were cast off; the crews with a ringing
cheer plunged their oars simultaneously into the water, and
away we went at racing speed through the dense fog along
the channel

We had scarcely pulled half a dozen strokes when the

IN SIGHT OF OITR GAME. 127

report of a musket rang out from the bank on our starboard
hand; and at the same instant a line of tiny sparks of fire
appeared on either hand through the thick haze, rapidly in-
creasing in size and luminosity until they stood revealed as
huge fires of dry brushwood. They were twelve in number,
six on either bank of the channel, and were spaced about
three hundred yards apart. So large were they that they
rendered the fog quite luminous; and it seemed pretty evi-
dent that they had been built and lighted for the express
purpose of illuminating the channel and revealing our exact
whereabouta I was congratulating myself upon the cir-
cumstance that the dense fog would to a considerable extent
defeat their purpose, when, in an instant, as though we had
passed out through a solid wall, we emerged from the fog, and
there lay the three slave craft before us, moored with springs
on their cables, boarding-nettings triced up, and guns run
out, evidently quite ready to receive us.

The three craft were moored athwart the channel in a
slightly curved line, with their bows pointing to the east-
ward, the brig being ahead, the schooner next, and the
brigantine the sternmost of the line. Thus moored, their
broadsides commanded the whole channel in the direction of
our advance, and could, if required, be concentrated upon
any one point in it.

" Hurrah I " shouted Smellie, rising to his feet and drawing
his sword; *' hurrah, lads, there is our game! Give way
and go at them. I'll take the brig, Armitage; you tackle
the brigantine, and leave Williams to deal with the schooner.
Now bend your_back8, launches ; there is a glass of grog all
round waiting for you if we are alongside first."

128 AN EXCITING CHASE.

" Hurroo I pull, bhoys, and let's shecure that grog anny-
how," exclaimed the irrepressible Flanaghan; and with
another cheer and a hearty laugh the men stretched them-
selves out and plied the stout ashen oars until the water
fairly buzzed again under the launches bows, and it almost
seemed as though they would lift her bodily out of the

water.

As for Armitage and Williams, they were evidently quite
determined not to be beaten in the race if they could help
it. Both were on their feet, their drawn swords in their
right hands, pistols in their left, and their bodies bobbing
energetically forward, in approved racing fashion, at every
stroke of the oars; whilst the voice of first one and then
the other could be heard encouraging their respective crews
with such exclamations as :

"Pull now! ^uYlhardl There she litis \ iVow? she travels I
There we draw ahead. TFell pulled; again so," and so on,
she men all the while straining at the oars with a zeal and
energy which left in the wake of each boat a long line of
swirling, foamy whirlpools.

We were within about eighty yards of the slavers — the
launch leading by a good half length — when a voice on
board the brig uttered some word of command, and that
same instant — crash! came a broadside at us, fired simul-
taneously from the three ships. The gtms were well aimed,
the shot flying close over and all round us, tearing and
thrashing up the placid surface of the water about the boats,
and sprinkling us to such an extent that, for the moment,
we seemed to be passing through a heavy shower; yet,
strange to say, no damage was done

A DESPERATE STRUGGLE. 129

Before the guns could be again loaded we were alongside,
and then ensued — so far at least as the launch was concerned

■a few minutes of such desperate hand-to-hand fighting as
I have never since witnessed. We dashed alongside the
brig in the wake of her larboard main rigging, and as the
boat's side touched that of the slaver every man dropped
his oar, seized his cutlass, and sprang for the main channels.
Here, however, we were received so warmly that it was
found utterly impossible to make good our footing, the men
springing up only to fall back again into the boat wounded
with pike-thrust, pistol-bullet, or cutlass-gash. Smellie and
I happened to make a dash for the same spot, but being the
lighter of the two I was jostled aside by him and narrowly
avoided tumbling overboard He succeeded in gaining a

temporary footing on the chain-plate, and was evidently

about to scramble thence upon the sheer-pole, when I saw a
pike thrust out at him from over the topgallant bulwarks.
The point struck him in the right shoulder, passing com-
pletely through it; the thrust upset his balance, and down
he came by the run into the boat. Our lads meanwhile
were cutting and hacking most desperately at the boarding
netting, endeavouring to make a passage-way through it,
but unfortunately they had emptied their pistols in the first
rush, and, unable to reach their enemies through the netting,
were completely at their mercy. In less than three minutes
all hands were back in the boat, every one of us more or
less hurt, and no nearer to getting on board than we had
been before the beginning of the attack.

The cutters had evidently fared no better, for they were
already hauling off, discomfited; seeing which, Smellie, who

(290) I

130 WE ARE BEATEN OFF.

seemed scarcely conscious of his wound, reluctantly gave the
order for us to follow their example, which we promptly
did. Poor Smelliel I pitied him, for I could see he was
deeply mortified at our defeat

The three boats converged toward each other as they
hauled off, and as soon as we were within speaking distance
of them the second lieutenant inquired of Armitage and
Williams whether they had suffered much.

" We have one man killed, and I think none of us have
escaped quite scot-free," was Armitage's reply; whilst Wil-
liams reported that two of his men were seriously hurt and
seven others slightly wounded.

"Well," said Smellie, *'it is evident that we can do
nothing with them unless we change our tactics. We will,
therefore, all three of us attack the schooner, the two cutters
boarding her, one on each bow, whilst we in the launch will
make a feint of attacking the brigantine, passing her, how-
ever, at the last moment, and boarding the schooner aft.
Now — away we go I "

The boats upon this were quickly swept round, and off
we dashed toward our respective points of attack. We were
still fully a hundred yards distant when another broadside
was poured into us, this time with very destructive effect
so far as the launch was concerned. We were struck by no
less than five nine-pound shot, two of which played havoc
with our oars on the starboard side, a third tore out about
twelve feet of planking and gunwale on the same side, and
the remaining two struck the boat's stem close together,
completely demolishing the bows and, worst of ail, killing
three men.

DESTRUCTION OF THE LAUNCH. 131

The launch was now a wreck and sinking. Smellie, there-
fore, conceiving it to be our best chance under the circum-
stances, gave orders to steer straight for the schooner's main
chains. We succeeded in reaching our quarry before the
boat sank, and that was all, the launch capsizing alongside
as we sprang from her gunwale to that of the schooner.
Very fortunately for us, the two cutters had arrived nearly
a minute before us, and when we boarded the entire crew
of the schooner was on her forecastle fully occupied in the
endeavour to repel their attack. Taking advantage of this
we quietly but rapidly slipped in on deck through her open
ports aft, and then made a furious charge forward, attacking
the Spaniards in their rear. Our presence on board seemed
to take them considerably by surprisa They wavered and
hesitated, but, incited by a burly ruffian who forced his way
through the crowd, rallied once more and attacked us hotly.
This was exactly what we wanted. Our fellows, by Smellie*s
order, contented themselves with acting for the time being

strictly on the defensive, giving way gradually before the
impetuous attack of the Spaniards, and drawing them by
degrees away from the forecastle. A diversion was thus
effected in favour of the cutters' crews, of which they were
not slow to avail themselves; and in less than five minutes
after the attack of the launch's crew our entire party had
gained a footing upon the schooner's deck Even then the
Spanish crew continued to fight desperately, inflicting several
very severe wounds upon our lads, until at last, thoroughly
roused by such obstinacy, the blue-jackets made such a
determined charge that they cleared the decks by actually
and literally driving their opponents overboard. Not that

132 THE SCHOONER WON.

this entailed much loss upon the Spaniards, however; for
they all, or very nearly all, swam either to the brig or the
brigantine, where they were promptly hauled on board.

F

On our side Smellie lost not a moment in availing himself
to the fullest extent of our partial victory. He ordered the
cutters to be dropped under the schooner's stem, and whilst
this was being done the springs were veered away and hauled
upon until the schooner was brought broadside on to her
former consorts, now her antagonists. This done our lads
went to the guns, double-shotted them, and succeeded in
delivering an awfully destructive raking broadside fore and
aft along the decks of both the brig and the brigantine.
The frightful outcries and the confusion which ensued on
board these craft assured us that our fire had Avrought a
tremendous amount of execution among the men crowding
their decks; but they were too wise to give us an oppor-
tunity to repeat the dose. Their springs were promptly
manned, and by the time that the schooner's batteries were
again loaded our antagonists had brought their broadsides
to bear upon us.

Once more was our double-shotted broadside hurled upon
the foe, and then, before our lads had time to run-in their
guns, we received the combined fire of the brig and the brig-
antine in return. Through the sharp ringing explosion of our
antagonists' nine-pounders we distinctly heard the crashing
of the shot through the schooner's timbers, and then
God ! I shall never forget it — the piercing shrieks and
groans of mortal agony which uprose beneath our feet I
Not a man of us upon the schooner's decks was injured by
that terrible double broadside ; for the Spaniards, resolved

INHUMAN CONDUCT OF THE SPANIARDS. 133

to sink the craft, bad depressed the muzzles of their guns
and sent their shot through the schooner's sides just above
the water-line on the one side and out through her bottom
on the other, regardless of the fact that the vessel's hold was
packed full of slaves. The slaughter which resulted among

these unhappy creatures, thus closely huddled together, I
must leave to the reader's imagination — it was simply in-
describable.

For a moment all hands of us on board the schooner were
struck dumb and motionless with horror at this act of
cowardice and wanton barbarity; then, with a yell of
righteous fury our lads turned again to their guns, which
thenceforward were loaded and fired independently, and as
rapidly as possible. The slavers on their part were not

behindhand in alacrity, and presently we received another

broadside from the brig, closely followed by one from the
brigantine, the guns being in both cases aimed as before,
with similar murderous results, and with a repetition of
those heart-rending shrieks of agony and despair.

"My God! I can't bear this!" I heard Smellie exclaim,
as the dying shrieks of the negroes below again pealed out
upon the startled air. "Mr. Williams, take half a dozen
men below and free those unhappy blacks. I don't know
whether I am acting prudently or not, but I cannot leave
them chained helplessly down there to be cut to pieces by
the shot o£ those Spanish fiends. Let them come on deck
and take their chance with us. Some of them at least may
possibly effect their escape, either in the schooner's boats
or by swimming to the shore."

Williams lost no time in setting about his perilous work

134 A DESPERATE EFFORT.

of mercy; and a few minutes after his disappearance down
the main hatchway the unhappy slaves began to make their
appearance on deck, where they first stared in terrified
wonder about them, and then crouched down helplessly on
the deck wherever they might happen to find themselves.

In the meantime the cannonade was kept briskly up on
both sides, and presently the Spaniards began to pepper us
with musketry in addition. The bullets, fired at short range,
flew thickly about us ; and the casualties quickly increased,
several of the unfortunate blacks falling victims to the first
discharge. Seeing this, Smellie ordered the schooner's boats,
three in number, to be lowered and the slaves passed into
them. This was done, our lads leaving the gims for a few
minutes for the purpose; but — will it be credited] The

Spaniards no sooner became aware of our purpose than
they directed their fire upon the boats and their hapless
occupants; so that we were compelled to quickly drag the
unhappy blacks back on board the schooner again, to save
them from being ruthlessly slaughtered. The worst of it
was, that though Williams had succeeded in freeing many
of them from the heavy chains with which they were secured
together in the schooner's hold, most of them still wore
heavy fetters on their ankles. These we now proceeded to
knock off as fast as we could, afterwards pitching the poor
wretches overboard — with scant ceremony, I fear — to take
their chances of being able to reach the shore. And during
all this the Spaniards never ceased firing upon us for an
instant; so there we were in the midst of a perfect hail-
storm of round-shot and bullets; the air about us thick and
suffocating with the smoke from the guns, our only light

THE SCHOONER SINKING. 135

the quick intennittent flashes of the cannon and musketry;
the whole atmosphere vibrating with the roar and rattle of
the fusillade, the shouts of the combatants, and the shrieks
of the wounded and dying j struggling with the unhappy
negroes who, driven almost frantic with the unwonted sights
and sounds around them, seemed quite unable to compre-
hend our intentions, and resisted to the utmost our well-
meant endeavours to pass them over the ship's side into
the water.

In the midst of all this tumult and confusion we were
suddenly confronted by an additional horror — Williams,
badly wounded in the head by a splinter, staggering on
deck, closely followed by his men, with the news that the
schooner was rapidly sinking, and that it was impossible to

free any more of the blacks.

I glanced down the hatchway. Merciful Heaven! shall
I ever forget the sight which met my eyes in that brief
glimpse! The intelligence was only too literally true. By
the dim light of a horn lantern which Williams had sus-
pended from the beams I could see the black water welling
and bubbling rapidly up from the shot-holes below, and the
wretched negroes, still chained below, surrounded by the
mangled corpses of their companions and already immersed
to their chins, with their heads thrown as far back as
possible so as to keep their mouths and nostrils free until
the last possible moment, their faces contorted and their
eyes protruding from their sockets with mortal fear.

One of the unhappy creatures was a woman — a mother.
Actuated by that loving and devoted instinct which con-
strains all animals to seek the safety of their helpless off-

136 THE DYING SLAVE MOTHER.

F

spring before their own, she had raised her infant in her arms
as high as possible above the surface of the bubbling water,
and had fixed her dying gaze yearningly upon the little
creature's face with an expression of despairing love which
it was truly pitiful to see. I could not bear it. The mother
was lost — chained as she was to the submerged deck, nothing
could then save her — but the child might still be preserved.
I sprang down the hatchway and, splashing through the
rapidly-rising water, seized the child, and, as gently as pos-
sible, tried to disengage it from the mother's grasp. The
woman turned her eyes upon me, looked steadfastly at me
for a moment as though she would read my very soul, and
then — possibly because she saw the flood of compassion
which was welling up from my heart into my eyes — pressed
her child's lips once rapidly and convulsively to her own
already submerged mouth, loosed her grasp upon its body,
and with a wild shriek of bitter anguish and despair threw
herself backwards beneath the flood.

My heart was bursting with grief and indignation — grief
for the miserable dying wretches around me, and indigna-
tion at our utter inability to prevent such wholesale human
suffering. But there was no time to lose; the schooner was
already settling down beneath our feet, and I saw that it
would very soon be " Every man for himself and God for us
all;" so I passed my charge on deck and quickly followed it
myself.

I was just in time to see Smellie spinning the schooner's
wheel hard over to port and lashing it there. Divining in
an instant that he hoped by this manoeuvre to sheer the
schooner alongside the brig, I seized the child I had brought

CAPTURE or THE BRIG. 137

up from below, dropped it into one of our own boats astern,
and then stood by to make a spring for the brig with the rest
of our party. Half a minute more and the sides of the two
ships touched.

"Now, lads, follow mel Spring for your lives — the
schooner is sinking!" I heard Smellie shout; and away we
went — Armitage leading one party forward, and Smellie
showing the way to the rest of them aft. And, even as we
made our spring, the schooner heeled over and sank along-
side.

We were met, as before, by so stubborn a resistance
that I believe every one of us received some fresh hurt more
or less serious before we actually reached the deck of the
brig ; but our lads were by this time fully aroused — neither
boarding nettings nor anything else could any longer restrain
them; and in a few seconds, though more than one poor
fellow fell back dead, we were in possession of the brig,
the crew, in obedience to an order from their captain, sud-
denly flinging down their weapons and tumbling headlong
into their boats, which for some reason — a reason we were
soon to learn — they had lowered into the water.

To our surprise our antagonists, instead of taking refuge
on board the brigantine, as we fully expected they would,
took to their oars and pulled in frantic haste up the creek.
In the dense darkness which now ensued consequent upon
the cessation of firing it was impossible to send a shot after
them with any chance of success; and so they were allowed
to go free.

The hot pungent fumes which arose through the grating
of the brig's main hatchway very convincingly testified to

138 BLOWN up!

the presence of slaves on board that craft also; and, warned
by his recent experience on board the schooner, Smellie
resolved to warp the brig in alongside the bank and land the
unfortunate creatures before resuming hostilities. A gang of
men was accordingly sent forward to clear away the neces-
sary warps and so on; and I was directed to go with a
boat's crew into one of the cutters to run the ends of the
warps on shore.

The boats, it will be remembered, had been passed astern
of the schooner, and there they still remained uninjured,
that craft having settled down in water so shallow that her
deck was only submerged to a depth of about eighteen
inches. In order to reach either of the boats, however, it
was necessary to pass along the deck of the sunken craft;
and I was just climbing down the brig's side to do so — the
men having preceded me — when the bulwarks to which I
was clinging suddenly burst outward, the brig's hull was
rent open by a tremendous explosion, and, enveloped for an
instant in a sheet of blinding flame, I felt myself whirled
upwards and outwards for a considerable distance, to fall
finally, stunned, scorched, and half-blinded, into the agitated
waters of the creek. Moved more by instinct than anything
else I at once struck out mechanically for the shore. It was
at no great distance from me, and I had almost reached it
when some object — probably a piece of falHng wreckage
from the dismembered brig — struck me a violent blow on
the back of the head, and I knew no more.

CHAPTER IX.

DOOMED TO THE TORTURE.

ONSCIOUSNESS at length began, slowly and
with seeming reluctance, to return to me ; and
so exceedingly disagreeable was the process,
that if I could have had my own way just
then, I think I should have preferred to die. My first
sensation was that of excessive stiffness in every part of my
body, with distracting headache. Then, as my nerves more
fully recovered their functions, ensued a burning fever which
scorched my body and sent the blood rushing through my
throbbing veins like a torrent of molten mefcal. And finally,
as I made an unsuccessful effort to move, I became aware,
first of all by sundry sharp smarting sensations, that I had
been wounded in three or four places; and secondly, by a
feeling of severe compression about the wrists and ankles,
that I was bound — a prisoner !

With complete restoration to consciousness my sufferings
rapidly grew more acute; and at length, with a groan of
exquisite agony, I opened my eyes and looked about me.

Where was I ?

Somewhere on shore, evidently.

Overhead was the deep brilliantly blue sky, with the sun,

139

140 COMPANIONS IN MISFORTUNE.

almost in the zenith, darting his burning beams directly
down upon my uncovered head and my upturned face.
Turning my head aside to escape the dazzling brightness
which smote upon my aching eyeballs with a sensation of
positive torture, I discovered that I was lying in about the
centre of an extensive forest clearing of nearly circular shape
and about five hundred yards in diameter, hemmed in on
all sides by a dense growth of jungle and forest trees, and
carpeted thickly with short verdant grass.

Near me lay the apparently inanimate body of poor Mr.
Smellie, bound hand and foot, like myself; and dotted about
here and there on the grass, mostly in a sitting posture and
also bound, were some fifteen or twenty negroes, who, from
their wretched plight, I conjectured to be survivors from the
sunken slave schooner. Turning my head in the opposite
direction I discovered at a few yards distance a party of
negroes, some fifty in number, much finer-looking and more
athletic men than those in bonds round about me, who,
from the weapons they bore, I at once concluded to be our
captors. This surmise was soon afterwards proved to be
correct; for, upon the completion of the meal which they
were busily discussing when I first made them out, they ap-
proached us, and with sufiiciently significant gestures gave
us to understand that we must rise and march.

The captive blacks rose to their feet stolidly and without
any apparent difficulty ; but so far as I was concerned this
was an impossibility, my feet as well as my hands being
secured. One great hulking black fellow, noticing that
neither Smellie nor I showed any signs of obedience, delibe-
rately proceeded to prod us here and there with the point

I REMONSTRATE VIGOROUSLY. 141

of his spear. Upon Smellie these delicate attentions pro-
duced no effect whatever, he evidently being either dead or
insensible; but they aroused in me a very lively feeling of
indignation, under the influence of which I launched such a
vigorous kick at the unreasonable darky's shins as made him
howl with pain and sent him hopping out of range in double-
quick time — a proceeding which raised a hearty laugh at his
expense among his companions. A moment later, however,
he returned, his eyes sparkling with rage, and would have
transfixed me with the light javelin he carried had not an-
other of the party interfered. By the order of this last
individual Smellie and I were presently raised from the
ground, and each borne by two men, were carried off in the
rear of the column of captive blacks, our captors taking up

such positions along the line on either side as effectually

precluded all possibility of escape.

Passing across the open space, we presently plunged into
the jungle, traversing a bush-path just wide enough to allow
of two men walking abreast. I had not much opportunity,
however, for noting any of the incidents of our journey, for,
owing to the clumsy way in which I was being carried, my
wounds burst open afresh, and I soon fainted from loss of
blood.

When next I recovered consciousness I found that we
were afloat, no doubt on the river, though I had no means
of ascertaining this for certain, as I was lying in the bottom
of the canoe, and could see nothing but blue sky beyond
either of the gunwales. Smellie was lying beside me, and,
to my great joy, I found that he was not only alive but a
great deal better than I could have thought possible aftei

142 ON BOARD A WAR CANOE.

witnessing his former desperate condition. Of course we at
once exchanged congratulations each at the other's escape;
and then began to compare notea My companion in mis-
fortune had, it seemed, just started to go forward when the
explosion occurred on board the brig; the shock had rendered
him unconscious; and when he recovered he found himself
on board the canoe with me beside him. Poor fellow 1 he
was in a sad plight He was severely wounded in no less
than four different parts of his body; his face and hands
were badly scorched; his clothing — about which he was
always very particular — hung upon him in tatters; and
lastly, he was greatly distressed in mind at the disastrous
failure of the expedition, at the fearfully heavy casualties
which we knew had befallen the attacking party, and at the
extreme probability that those casualties had been very
largely increased by the blowing up of the brig. I said
what I could to comfort him, but, alas ! that was not much ;
and it was a relief to us both to change the subject, even
though we naturally turned at once to the discussion of our
own problematical future.

The craft in which we found ourselves was a war-canoe,
about sixty feet long and five feet beam, manned by about
forty of our captors, who sat two abreast close to the gun-
wales, paddling vigorously; the negro prisoners, as well as
ourselves, being stowed along the middle of the canoe, fore
and aft. A fresh fair breeze was blowing, and full advan-
tage was being taken of this circumstance, a huge mat sail
being hoisted on the craft which must inevitably have cap-
sized her had it happened to jibe. From the sharp rushing
sound of the water along the sides and bottom of the canoe,

IN THE HANDS OP THE SAVAGES. 143

and the swift strokes of the paddles, I judged that we must
be travelling through the water at a rapid rate, a conjecture
the truth of which was afterwards very disagreeably verified.

We sped on thus until sunset, when the sail was suddenly
lowered and with loud shouts, which were re-echoed from
the shore, the cancels course was altered, the craft grounding
a few minutes afterwards on a beach where all hands of us
landed.

Smellie and I were by this time quite able to walk, but
before we could set foot to the ground a couple of stalwart
blacks were told off to each of us, and we were carried along
as before. On this occasion, however, our journey was but
a short one, not more, perhaps, than five or six hundred
yards altogether. Arrived, apparently, at our destination,
we were set down, and immediately bound with Uianos or
monkey-rope to the bole of a huge tree. Looking about us,
we discovered that we were in a native village of consider-
able size, built in a semicircular shape, having in its centre
a structure of considerable architectural pretensions in a
barbaric sort of way, which structure we conjectured — from
the presence of a hideous idol in front of it — must be a sort
of temple. Looking about us still further, we noticed that
the remainder of the prisoners were being bound to trees
like ourselves. There was a peculiarity about the disposition
of the prisoners which I certainly did not like; there might
be no motive for it, but it struck me that our being ranged
in a semicircle in front of this idol bad a rather sinister ap-

pearance.

Having secured the prisoners to their satisfaction, our
captors left us; and we were speedily surroiinded by a curious

144 A NATIVE BEAUTY.

crowd consisting chiefly of women and children, who came
and stared persistently with open-mouthed curiosity at the
captives, and especially at Smellie and myself, greatly at-
tracted by the apparently novel sight of our white skins.
The old women were, for the most part, hideously ugly,
wrinkled, and bent, their grizzled wool plastered with grease
and dirt, and their bodies positively encrusted with filth.
The young women, on the other hand — those, that is to say,
whose ages seemed to range between thirteen and sixteen or
seventeen — were by no means destitute of personal attrac-
tions, which — to do them justice — they exhibited with the
most boundless liberality. They were all possessed of plump
well-made figures; their limbs were, in many cases, very
finely moulded; they had an upright graceful carriage; the
expression of their features was amiable and gentle; and,
notwithstanding their rather prominent lips, a few of them
were actually pretty.

One of these damsels, a perfect little sable Hebe, seemed
CO be greatly attracted by us, walking round and round the
tree to which we were secured — ^first at a respectful distance,
and then nearer and nearer. Finally, after studjang our
countenances intently for nearly a minute, she boldly ap-
proached and laid her finger upon my cheek, apparently to
ascertain whether or no it was genuine flesh and blood.
Satisfied that it was so, she backed off to take another look
at us, and I thought an expression of pity overspread her
face. Finally she addressed us. We were, of course, quite
unable to xmderstand the words she uttered, but her actions,
graceful as they were, were significant enough; she was evi-
dently asking whether we were hungry or thirsty. To this

A GOOD SAMARITAN. 145

inquiry Smellie nodded a prompt affirmative, which I backed
up with the single word " Bather" uttered so expressively
that I am certain she quite understood me. At all events,
she tripped lightly away, returning in a few minutes with a
small finely-woven basket containing about two quarts of
fresh palm-juice, which she presented first to Smellie's lips,
and then to mine. Need I say that, between us, we emptied it 1
Our hostess laughed gaily as she glanced at the empty basket,
evidently pleased at the success of her attempt to converse
with us; and then, with a reassuring word or two, she tripped
away again. Only to return, however, about a quarter of
an hour later, with the same basket, filled this time with a
kind of porridge, which, though not particularly tasty, was
acceptable enough after our long fast. This, our fair, or
rather our dark friend administered to us alternately by
means of a flat wooden spatula. This feeding process had
not passed, it need hardly be said, unobserved; and by the
time that our meal was concluded quite a large audience of
women had gathered round to witness the performance.
The animated jabber and hearty ringing laughter of several
of the younger women and the somewhat abashed yet
pleased expression of our own particular friend seemed to
indicate that badinage was not altogether unknown, even in
this obscure African village. But everything of that kind
was brought abruptly to an end by a loud discordant blow-
ing of horns and the hollow tub, tub, tub of a number of rude
drums; at which sounds the crowd around us broke up at
once and retired, our little Hebe casting back at us more
than one glance strongly indicative, as it seemed to me, of
compassion.

(200)

146 NATIVE Musia

A fire had been kindled in front of the idol, or fetish, dur-
ing the feeding process above referred to, and now that the
curious crowd of women and girls who then surrounded us
had retired we were able to see a little more of what was
going on. The horn-blowing and drum-beating emanated
from a group of entirely naked savages who were marching
in a kind of procession round the idol. This ceremony
lasted about ten minutes, when another negro made his
appearance upon the scene, emerging from the temple, if
such it actually was, bearing in his hands a queer-looking
construction, the nature of which I was at first unable to
distinguish. After marching solemnly round the idol three
times this individual seated himself tailor fashion before it,
laid the instrument on his knees, and began to hammer upon
it with a couple of sticks; whereupon we became aware that
he was playing upon a rude imitation of a child*s harmonicon,
the keys of which appeared to be constructed of hard wood,
out of which he managed to beat a very fair specimen of
barbaric music. This music seemed to be the overture to
some impending entertainment; for upon the sound of the
first notes the inhabitants began to pour out of their huts
and to gather in a promiscuous crowd round the giant tree-
stump upon which the hideous fetish waa mounted. "When

r

the gathering was apparently complete the music ceased, the
drumming and horn-blowing burst out afresh, and the crowd
immediately divided into two sections, the smaller, and I
presume the more select division squatting on the ground
in a semicircle in front of the image, whilst the remainder
of the inhabitants ranged themselves into two quadrants
about thirty feet apart, one on each side and in front of their

IMPRESSIVB PREPARATIONS. 147

deity. Through this open space between the two quadrants
it appeared probable that we should obtain a very good, if
rather distant view of the ceremonies which were evidently
about to take place.

The audience having arranged themselves in position, the
horn-blowing ceased, and the musicians stepped inside the
inner circle and seated themselves to the right and left of
the fetish. A pause of perhaps a couple of minutes ensued,
and then horns, drums, and harmonicon suddenly burst out
with a loud confused fantasia, each man apparently doing
his utmost to drown the noise of the others. Louder and
louder blared the horns; the drummers pounded upon their
long narrow drums until it seemed as though at every stroke
the drum-heads must inevitably be beaten in; whilst the
harmonicon-man hammered away at his instrument with a
vigour and rapidity which must have been truly gratifying
to his friends.

In the midst of this wild hullabaloo a blood-curdling yell
rang out upon the still night air, and from the open door
of the temple or fetish-house there bounded into the inner
circle a most extraordinary figure, clad from head to heel m
monkey skins, his head adorned with a coronet of beads and
feathers, a bead necklace round his neck, a living snake
encircling his waist as a girdle, and bearing in his hand a
red and black wand about four feet long.

Upon the appearance of this individual the uproar sud-
denly ceased, then the maestro who presided at the har-
monicon struck up a low accompaniment, and the last comer
burst into a subdued monotonous chant, pointing and gesti-
culating from time to time with his wand.

148 A STARTLING QUESTION.

I watched the proceedings with a great deal of interest^
and was beginning to wonder what would happen next,
when Smellie turned to me and quietly asked :

"Mr. Hawkesley, do you ever say your prayers?"

"Sirl" I ejaculated in unutterable surprise at so imper-
tinent a question, as it seemed to me.

"I asked whether you ever said your prayers: I ought to
have said, rather, do you ever pray? There is often a very
great difference between the two acts," he returned quietly.

"Well — ah — yes — that is — certainly, sir, I do," stam-
mered I.

"Then," said Smellie, "let me recommend you to pray
Twm — to pray with all the earnestness and sincerity of which
you are capabla Make your peace with God, if you have
not already done so, whilst you have the opportunity, for,
unless I am very greatly mistaken, it is our doom to die
tonight"

I was so shocked, so completely knocked off my balance,
by this unlooked-for communication, that, for the moment^
I lost all power of speech, my tongue clave to the roof of
my mouth, and I could only stare at my fellow-prisoner in
horrified incredulity.

"My poor boy," he said compassionately, "I am afraid I
have spoken to you too abruptly. I ought to have prepared
you gradually for so momentous a piece of intelligence, to
have broken the news to you. But, there, what matters 1
You are a plucky lad, Hawkesley — ^your conduct last night
abundantly proved that — and I am sure that, if the occasion
should come, you will stand up and face death in the presence
of these savages as an Englishman should ; I am not afraid of

LAST WORDS, 149

that But, my dear boy, are you prepared to die 1 Are you in
a fit state to meet your God ? You are very young, quite
a lad in fact, and a good lad too; you cannot yet have erred
very grievously. Thoughtless, careless, indifferent you may
have been, but your conscience can hardly charge you with
any very serious offence, I should think; and you may there-
fore well hope for pardon and mercy. Seek both at once,
my dear boy."

"But — Mr. Smellie — I — I don't understand; you don't
appear to be afraid or — or disturbed at — the near prospect
of death."

"No," he replied, raising his eyes heavenward for a
moment; "no, thank God, I am not afraid. My mother — "
his lips quivered, his voice faltered and almost broke for an

instant, and by the red glare of the fire I saw the tears well

up into his eyes as he spoke that revered name. But he
steadied himself again directly, and went on — "my dear
mother taught me to be ready for death at any moment;
taught me so lovingly and so thoroughly that I can regard with
perfect calmness to-night, as I have a score of times before,
the approach of the Last Enemy. But let us not waste the
precious moments in conversation. Time soon will be for
us no more ; and — ah \ see, there comes the vile high-priest
of a loathsome idolatry to claim his first victim. Should
you by any chance escape the coming horrors of this night,
Hawkesley, and live to reach England once more, seek out
my mother — Austin will instruct you as to where she may
be found — and tell her that her son died as she would wish
him to die, a sincere Christian. I am to be the first victim
it would appear. Farewell, my dear boy ! God bless you,

150 THE FETISH-MAN.

and grant us a happy meeting at His right hand on the last
Great Day ! "

vain

well. I wanted to let him know how inexpressibly precious
to me were the few words of exhortation and encour-
agement he had spoken ; to say were it only a single word
to cheer his last moments with the assurance that he had
not spoken in vain; but my emotion was too great. I felt
that in the effort to speak I should inevitably burst into
tears, and so, perhaps, unman him, and disgrace him and
myself in the eyes of these inhuman savages. So, perforce,
I held my peace, and watched with a wildly-beating heart to
see how a brave man should die.

In the meantime the fetish-man had concluded his chant,
and, in the midst of a breathless silence on the part of his

audience, stood looking intently round the circle at the
group of prisoners secured to the trees. He glanced keenly
at each of us in turn, and at length pointed his wand
straight at Smellie. It was this action which caused the
second lieutenant to announce to me his belief that it was
he who was to be the first victim of the impending sacrificial
ceremony. Keeping his wand pointed directly at my com-
panion, the uncouth figure slowly and with a quite un-
describable undulatory dancing motion, advanced toward
our tree, the crowd hastily making way for him, and four
members of the inner circle rising to their feet and following
him at a touch from his finger.

Overcoming by a strong effort the horrible fascination
which this loathsome wretch exercised over me, I turned to
look at my companion.

smellie's unflinching courage. 151

He seemed to be utterly unconscious of his surroundings.
His eyes were raised to heaven, his lips moved from time
to time, and it was manifest that he was holding the most
solemn and momentous communion which it is possible for
man to hold even with his Maker. Pale, haggard, and
worn with mental and physical suffering, his crisp brown
curly hair stiff and matted with blood, his face streaked
with ensanguined stains, and his scorched clothing hanging
about him in blood-stained rags, I nevertheless thought it
would be difficult to picture a more perfect embodiment of
a good, noble, and brave man.

Slowly and sinuously, like a serpent stealing upon his
prey, the fetish-man or witch-doctor advanced until he stood
within a yard of his intended victim, with the fatal wand

still pointing straight at Smellie's breast. He stood thus for

a full minute or more, seemingly striving to wring from the
bound and helpless prisoner some sign of panic or at least of
discomposure. In vain. His last most solemn act of duty
done, Smellie at length turned his eyes upon those of his
enemy, regarding him with a gaze so calmly steadfast, so
palpably devoid of fear, that the savage, mortified at his
utter failure, suddenly, with an exclamation immistakably
indicative of rage and chagrin, dropped the point of his
wand, to raise it again instantly and direct it toward my
breast.

But the cool intrepidity which I had just witnessed was
contagious; in my sublime admiration of it my soul soared
far above and beyond the reach of so debasing a feeling as
fear, and in my turn I met the cruel sinister gaze of the
crafty savage with one as calm as Smellie's own.

152 THE FIRST VICTIM.

For perhaps a full minute — ^it may have heen more, it
may have been less; it is difficult to estimate the lapse of
time under such trying circumstances — the fetish-man did
his best to disconcert me; then, baffled once more, with a
furious and threatening gesture he passed on to the next
prisoner.

"We are reprieved for the time being," said Smellie, as
the gesticulating witch-doctor and his myrmidons passed on,
"but only to become the victims of a more refined and pro-
tracted torture at last. Having failed to exhibit any signs
of fear in the first instance we are spared to witness the
cumulative sufferings of those who are to precede us, in order
that by the sight of their exquisite torments our courage
may be quelled by the anticipation of our own. I imagine,
from what I have read of the customs of this people, that
we are about to witness and become participants in a cere-
mony undertaken to avert or remove some great calamity
a ceremony involving the sacrifice of many victims, each of
whom is put to death with more refined barbarity than that
dealt out to the victim preceding him. Ah ! see there — a
worthy victim has at last been found with which to begin
the sacrifice."

I looked in the direction his eyes indicated, and, sure
enough, the light but fatal stroke with the wand was just in
the act of being struck upon the naked breast of one of the
negro prisoners. As the blow fell a loud shriek of despair
rang out from the lips of the wretched man ; the fetish-man's
four assistants sprang upon their prey, his bonds were cut,
and in another moment he was dragged, struggling desper-
ately and shrieking with mortal fear, into the inner circle

THE TORTURE. 153

and up to the broad tree-stump which supported the fetish

or idoL

In the meantime the fire had been bountifully replenished
with wood and now blazed up fiercely. By its ruddy light
I saw the fetish-man retire to the interior of the temple or
fetish-house, to appear immediately afterwards with a rude
stone hammer in one hand and what looked like four or five
large spike -nails in the other. He stood for a moment
gloating over the agonized countenance of his victim, and
then nodded his head. At the signal his four assistants
seized their prisoner, and, despite his terrible struggles,
rapidly placed him, head downwards, with his back against
the tree-stump, and his limbs extended as far as they would
go round it, when the fetish-man proceeded with cruel

deliberation to secure him in position by naUing him there^
the spikes taken from the fetish-house being used for the
purpose.

The horns, drums, and harmonicon now broke forth
afresh into a hideous clamour, which, however, was power-
less to drown the dismal shrieks of the victim; and the

fetish-man, arming himself with a large broad-bladed and
most murderous-looking knife, began to dance slowly, with
most extraordinary contortions of visage and body, round
the idoL Gradually his gyrations grew more rapid, his
gestures more extravagant; the knife was flourished in the
air in an increasingly threatening manner, and at length, as
the weird dancer whirled rapidly round the tree-stump, the
weapon was at each revolution plunged ruthlessly into the
writhing body of the hapless victim, the utmost care being
taken, I noticed, to avoid any vital part. Finally, when the

154 THE COUP DE GRACE.

dancer had apparently danced himself into a frenzy — ^when
his gyrations had become so rapid that it almost made me
giddy to look at him, and when his contortions of body
grew so extravagant that it was difficult to say whether he
was dancing on his head or on his heels — there flashed a
sudden lightning-like gleam of the knife, and the head of
the miserable victim fell to the ground, to be snatched up
instantly and, with still twitching features, nailed between
the feet of the body.

A loud murmur of applause from the spectators greeted
this effort of the fetish -man, in the midst of which he
retired for a few minutes to the interior of the fetish-house,
probably to recruit his somewhat exhausted energies.

CHAPTER X.

A FIENDISH CEREMONIAL.

OW," said Smellie as he turned once more to
me, " we shall probably be again threatened
on the reappearance of that bloodthirsty
villain. But whatever you do, Hawkesley,
maintain a bold front; let him see no sign or trace whatever
of weakness or discomposure in you. The fellow's thirst
for blood is by this time fully aroused, and every succeeding
victim will be subjected to greater refinements of torture;
all that diabolical scoundrel's fiendish ingenuity will now be
exercised to devise for his victims increasingly atrocious and
protracted agonies. There is one, and only one hope for us,
which is that by a persistent refusal to be terrorized by him,
and a judiciously scornful demeanour, we may at last exas-
perate him out of his self-control, and thus provoke him into
inflicting upon us the coup-de-grdce at once and without any
of the preliminary torments. Here he comes again. Now,
for your own sake, dear lad, remember and act upon my
advice."

The first act of the wretch was to despatch his four assis
tants into the forest, whence they returned in a short time
with three long slender poles and a considerable quantity of

155

166 DOOMED TO THE FLAMESi

creeper or monkey-rope. With these, under the fetish-man's
superintendence, a very tolerable set of light shears was
speedily constructed, which, when finished, was erected im-
mediately over the fire — now an immense mass of glowing
smokeless cinders — in front of the idol. The entire arrange-
ment was so unmistakably suggestive that I could not
restrain a violent shudder as it occurred to me that it might
possibly be my fate to be subjected to the fiery torment.

All being ready, a dead silence once more fell upon the
assembly, and the chief actor in the inhuman ceremonial
once more looked keenly around him for a victim.

As in the first instance, so now again was the wand
pointed at Smellie's breast, and once more the cruel crafty
bearer of it advanced on tip-toe with a stealthy cat-like tread
toward us. He approached thus until he had reached to
within about ten feet of the tree, when he once more paused
in front of us, gesticulating with the wand and making as
though about to strike with it the light blow which seemed
to be the stroke of doom, keenly watching all the while for
some sign of trepidation on the part of his victim. Then,
whilst the wretch was in the very midst of his fantastic
genuflexions before us, Smellie turned to me with a smile
and observed :

*' Just picture to yourself, Hawkesley, the way in which
that fellow would be made to jump if Tom Collins, the boat-
swain's mate, could only approach him from behind now,
and freshen his way with just one touch of his * cat.' "

There was perhaps not much in it; but the picture thus
suggested to my abnormally excited imagination seemed so
supremely ridiculous that I incontinently burst into a violent

REPRIEVED ONCE MORE. 167

and uncontrollable fit of hysterical laughter (the precise
effect which I afterwards ascertained Smellie was anxious to
produce); so highly exasperating the fetish-man that, with
eyes fairly sparkling with rage, he advanced and struck me
a violent blow on the mouth with his filthy hand, pass-
ing on immediately afterwards to seek elsewhere for a
victim.

He had not far to seek; the miserable wretch next me on
my left was so paralysed with fear that he was deemed a
fit and proper person to become the next sacrifice, and almost
unresistingly — until resistance was all too late — he was
dragged forward into the inner circle, thrown fiat upon his
stomach, and his hands and feet bound securely together
behind him. Then, indeed, he seemed suddenly to awake
to a sense of his horrid fate; and his superhuman struggles
for freedom and his ear-splitting yells were simply dreadful
beyond all description to see and hear. The fetish-man and
his assistants, confident of the reliable character of their
work, stood back and looked on quietly at the miserable
wretch's unavailing struggles; they seemed to be regarded
as quite a part of the entertainment, and the unhappy crea-
ture was allowed to continue them unmolested until they
ceased from exhaustion. Then, when he lay quite still,
panting and breathless, with his eyes starting from their
sockets and the perspiration streaming from every pore, the
fetish-man approached him and deftly bending on to his
fettered limbs an end of stout monkey-rope, he was dragged
along the ground into the fire, and thence triced in an in-
stant up to the shears, whence he hung suspended at the
height of about a foot immediately over the glowing embers.

158 A GHASTLY SIGHT.

r

The miserable sufferer bore the torment as long as he
could, and I shall never forget the awful sight his distorted
features presented as, drawing back his head as far as he
could from the fierce heat, he glared round the circle seeking
perchance for a hand merciful enough to put him out of his
misery — but after the first minute of suffering his stoicism
abandoned him, and he writhed so violently that the fetish-
man and his assistants had to steady the shears in order to
prevent them from capsizing altogether. And with every
writhe of the victim the slender poles bent and gave, letting
the miserable sufferer sink down some three or four inches
nearer the fire. The superhuman struggles, the frightful
contortions and writhings of the man, his ear-splitting yells,
the horrible smell of roasting flesh — oh, God ! it was awful
beyond all attempt at description. I pray that I may never
look upon such a ghastly sight again.

The fiendish exhibition had probably reached its most
appalling phase, and I was wondering, shudderingly, what
form of torture could possibly exceed it in cruelty, when
there was a sudden slight movement of my bonds; they
slackened and fell away from the tree-trunk against which
I leaned, and I was free. Not a moment was allowed me in
which to get over the first shock of my bewilderment; a soft
plump hand grasped mine and gently drew me roxmd behind
the tree, so rapidly that I had only time to note the fact
that apparently every eye in the assembly was fixed upon
the writhing figure suspended over the fire — and before I
had fairly realized what was happening I found myself a
dozen yards away from my starting-point, gliding rapidly
and noiselessly through the deep shadows cast by the tree-

FREEt 159

trunks, towards the outer darkness which prevailed beyond
the range of the fire-light ; with our little black Hebe friend
oi a few hours before dragging me along on one side of her
and Smellie on the other.

Five minutes later we had left the village so far behind

us that the barbarous sounds of horn and drum, mingled
with the yells of anguish from the tortured victim, momen-
tarily becoming more and more softened by our increasing
distance, were the sole evidences that remained to us of its
existence, and we found ourselves hurrying along through
the rank grass, threading the mazes of the park-like clumps
of lofty timber, and forcing a passage through the thickly
clustering festoons of parasitic orchids, under the subdued
light of the mellow stars alone.

With almost breathless rapidity our tender-hearted little

deliverer hurried us forward, frequently exclaiming in low
urgent accents, "Zola-kul zola-ku," so expressively uttered
that we had no difficulty in interpreting the words to mean
that there was the most extreme necessity for rapid move-
ment on our part We accordingly hastened our steps to
the utmost limit of our capacity, and in about ten minutes
from the moment of our liberation emerged upon a long
narrow strip of sandy beach, with the noble river sweeping
grandly to seaward before us. Here our guide paused for a
moment, apparently pondering as to what it would next be
best to do. Glancing down the river I saw indistinctly, at
about two hundred yards distance, some shapeless objects

F

which I took to be canoes drawn up on the beach, and point-
ing to them I exclaimed to Smellie :

'* Are not those canoes? If they are, what is to prevent

160 A HOT PURSUIT.

our seizing one and making our way down the river without
further ado?"

Our little Hebe glanced in the direction I had indicated,
and seemed quite to understand the nature of my suggestion,
for she shook her head violently and exclaimed rapidly in

accents of very decided dissent, " V6! Vil I Vifi!!!" pointing
at the same time to Smellie's and my own untended wounds.
At that moment a loud confused shouting arose in the
distant village, strongly suggestive of the discovery of our
flight. The sounds apparently helped our guide to a decision
as to her next step, for, seizing our hands afresh, she led us
straight into the river until the water was up to our knees,
and then turned sharply to the right or up stream. Pressing
forward rapidly, our * * way freshened " very decidedly by unmis-
takable shouts of pursuit emanating from the neighbourhood
of the village, we reached, after about a quarter of an hour
of arduous toil, a small creek some forty yards wide. Paus-
ing here for a moment, our guide made with her hands and
arms the motion of swimming, pointed across the creek,
touched Smellie on the breast with the query " Y^nuT' and
then rapidly repeated the same process with me. We took
this to mean an inquiry as to our ability to swim the creek,
and both replied "Yes" with affirmative nods. Whereupon
our guide, raising her finger to express the necessity for ex-
treme caution, and uttering a warning "Ngandu" as she
next pointed to the waters of the creek, waded gently and

without raising a ripple into the deep water, Smellie and I
following, and with a few quiet strokes we happily reached
the other side in safety, to plunge forthwith into the friendly
shadows of the forest. Had we known then — what we

WE EVADE OUR ENEMIES. 161

learned afterwards — that the word "Ngandu"is Congoese
for "crocodile," and that it was uttered as an intimation to
us that the river and its creeks literally swarm with these
reptiles, it is possible that our swim, short though it was,
would not have been undertaken with quite so much com-
posure.

Once fairly in the forest, it became so dark that it was
quite impossible for us to see whither we were going, but
our guide seemed to be well acquainted with the route,
which, from the comparatively few obstacles met with,
seemed to be a tolerably well-beaten path, so we crowded
sail and pressed along with tolerable rapidity behind the
slender black and almost indistinguishable figure of our
leader. The pursuit, too, was hotly maintained, as we

could tell by the occasional shouts and the sudden swishings

of branches at no great distance from us in the bush; but at
length, after a most wearisome and painful tramp of fully
nine miles, we got fairly out of reach of all these soimds,
and finally, at a sign from our deliverer, flung ourselves
down in the midst of a thick growth of ferns at the foot
of a giant tree, and, despite the increasing anguish of our
wounds, soon went to sleep.

We awoke at daybreak, to find ourselves alone : our guide
of the previous night had vanished. We were greatly dis-
concerted at this, for we felt that we should like to have
done something — though we scarcely knew what — to mark
our appreciation of her extremely important services of the
preceding night. Besides, somehow, we had both taken the
notion into our heads that in liberating us, she had com-
mitted an unpardonable sin against her former friends, and

(290) L

162 A BIT OF CONGO LANDSCAPE.

that when she crossed the creek and plunged into the forest
with us she was virtually cutting herself adrift from her own
people and casting in her lot with us. In which case, if we
should succeed in making good our escape and finding our
way back to the ship, we had little doubt about our ability
to make such arrangements on her behalf as should cause
her to rejoice for the remainder of her life at having be-
friended us. However, it seemed as though, having con-
ducted us to a place of temporary safety, she had returned
to the viDage, doubtless hoping to escape all suspicion of
having had a hand in our liberation.

It was a glorious morning. The sun was darting his early
beams through the richly variegated foliage, and touching
here and there with gold the giant trunks and limbs of the
forest treea The earth around us was thickly carpeted with
long grass interspersed with dense fern-brakes, and here
and there a magnificent clump of aloes, their long waxy
leaves and delicate white blossoms standing out in strong
relief against the blaze of intense scarlet or the rich vivid
green of a neighbouring bush. The early morning air was
cool, pure, and refreshing as it gently fanned our fevered
temples and wafted to us a thousand delicate perfumes. The
birds, glancing like living gems between the clumps of
foliage, were saluting each other blithely as they set out
upon their diurnal quest for food. The bees were already
busy among the gorgeous flowers; butterflies — more lovely
even than the delicate blossoms above which they poised
themselves — flitted merrily about from bough to bough; all
nature, in fact, was rejoicing at the advent of a new day.
And ill, suffering though we were, we could not but in some

OUB LIITLE BLACK FRIEND, 163

measure take part in the general joy, as -witli hearts over-
flowing with gratitude we remembered that we had escaped
the horrors of the previous night.

A glance or two about us and we scrambled to our feet,
intent, in the first instance, upon an immediate search for
water. We had just settled the question as to which direc-
tion seemed most promising for the commencement of our
quest when a clear musical call floated toward us, and look-
ing in the direction from whence it came, we beheld our
black Hebe approaching us, dragging a small dead antelope
by the heels after her. So she had not abandoned us after
all; on the contrary, she had probably spent a good part of
the night arranging for the capture of the creature which
was to furnish us with a breakfast.

On joining us she held up her prize for our inspection,
and then, with a joyous laugh at our approving remarks — at
the meaning of which she could, of course, only make the
roughest of guesses — she set to work deftly to clear away
and lay bare a space upon which to start a fire, in which
task, as soon as we saw what she wanted, we assisted her to
the best of our poor ability. This done, she went groping
about beneath the trees apparently in search of something;
soon returning with two pieces of dry stick, one of which, I
noticed, had a hole in it. A quantity of dry leaves and
sticks was next collected, having arranged which to her
satisfaction, she knelt down, and inserting the pointed end
of one stick in the hole of the other, twirled it rapidly be-
tween the palms of her hands, producing by the friction
thus set up, first a slight wreath of smoke, and ultimately
a tiny flame, which was carefully coimnunicated to the dry

164 A SYLVAN BREAKFAST.

leaves, and then gently fanned by her breath into a blaxe.
And in this way a capital fire for cooking purposes was
speedily obtained.

In the meantime Smellie and I had produced our knives
and had undertaken to skin and cut up the animal, some
juicy steaks from which were soon spluttering on pointed
sticks before the fire. The cooking operations being thus
put in satisfactory progress, our httle black friend borrowed
my knife and plunged once more into the forest depths, to
return again shortly afterwards with a huge gourd full of
deliciously clear cool water.

The antelope steaks were by this time ready, and we all
sat down to breakfast together. For my own part, I must
say I thoroughly enjoyed the meal; but I was sorry to ob-
serve that Smellie ate with but little appetite, drinking large
quantities of water, however. The poor fellow made no
complaint, but I could tell by his haggard look, his flushed
cheeks, and his glittering eyes that it was quite time his
wounds were attended to, or we should be having him down
with fever in the bush, and then Heaven alone could tell
when we should — if ever — be able to rejoin the Daphne.

But we were not to be allowed to sink tamely into a state
of despondency or apprehension; our sable lady friend
proved to be, like the rest of her sex, a great talker, and she
seized the opportunity afibrded by the discussion of break-
fast to plunge into an animated conversation. She began by
introducing herself, which she managed in quite an original
fashion. Pausing for a moment, with a piece of steak poised
daintily on a large thorn, she pointed to herself and re-
marked "Mono;" then touched Smellie and me lightly on

et t TTTtT»«rV> 1 ^niLKT^ . ''

LUBEMB ABKMBA. " 165

the breast and added "Ingeya;" "Ingeya/* We nodded
gravely to signify that we understood, or thought we did;
upon which she pointed to herself once more and observed,
*'Mono Lubembabemba. "

'*Which, being interpreted, means, as I take it, that her
ladyship's name is Lubem by — something. Your most
obedient servant, Miss Lubin by — "

She laughed a very pretty musical little laugh at Smellie's
elaborate assumption of mock gallantry and his bungling
efforts to pronounce the name.

**Lubem-ba-bemba," she corrected him; and this time the
gallant second lieutenant managed to stumble through it
correctly, at which there was more laughter and rejoicing
on the lady's part. Then I was called upon to repeat the

name, which, having paid the most praiseworthy attention
whilst Smellie was receiving his lesson, I managed to do
very fairly.

Then, flushed with her success, Miss Lubembabemba made
a further attempt at conversation. Pointing to herself and
repeating her name, she next pointed to Smellie and asked:

"Ingeya?"

Her meaning was so evident that Smellie answered at once,
with another elaborate bow :

"Harold Smellie; at your service."

"Haloldsmellieatoserveecel" she repeated with wide-
opened eyes of wonder at what she doubtless thought a
very extraordinary name.

We both burst involuntarily into a laugh at this really
clever first attempt to reproduce the second lieutenant's
polite speech; at which she first looked decidedly discon-

166 A LIVELY CONVERSATION.

cerfced, but immediately afterwards joined heartily in the
laugh against herself.

"No, no, no," said Smellie, "that won't do; you haven't
got it quite right. Harold; Harold."

" Haloid ? " she repeated. And after two or three attempts
to put her right — attempts which failed from her evident
inability to pronounce the "r" — Smellie was obliged to rest
content with being henceforward called " Haloid."

Then, of course, she turned to me with the same inquiry :

"Ingeya?"

" Dick," said L

This time she caught the name accurately, and then, to
show that she clearly understood the whole proceeding,
pointed to Smellie, to me, and to herself in rotation, pro-
nouncing our respective names.

" Yes," commented Smellie approvingly, "you have learned
your lesson very well indeed, my dear; but we shall never
be able to remember that extraordinary name of yours-
Lubemba — what is it — you know; besides, it will take us a
dog-watch to pronounce it in full; so I propose that we
change it and re-christen you after the ship, eh ? Call you
'Daphne,' you know. How would you like thati You
Daphne; I — Haloid, since you will have it so; and this
strapping young gentleman, Dick. Would that suit youl
Daphne — Haloid — Dick;" pointing to each of us in turn.

Her ladyship seemed to take the proposal as a tremendous
compliment, for her face lighted up with pleasure, and she
kept on pointing round the circle and repeating "Haloid
Dick — Daphne " until breakfast was concluded. And thence-
forward she refused to answer to any other name than

IMPROMPTU SURGERY. 167

Daphne, assuming an air of fche most complete unconscious-
ness when either of us presumed to address her as "Lubem-
babemba " (the butterfly).

Breakfast over, I thought it was high time to attend to
our wounda The first requirement was water — plenty of
it, and this want I managed with some little difficulty to
explain to Miss Daphne. Comprehending my meaning at
last she intimated that a stream was to be found at no great
distance; and we at once set off in search of it, our little
black friend carrying along with her a live ember from the
fire, which, by waving it occasionally in the air, she managed
to keep glowing.

We had not very far to go — most fortunately, for I saw
that Smellie's wounds were momentarily giving him increased
uneasiness and pain, A walk of about a quarter of an hour
took us to a sequestered and most delightful spot, where we
were not only perfectly concealed from chance wanderers,
but where we also found a small rocky basin full of deliciously
cool and pure water, which flowed into it from a tiny stream
meandering down the steep hill-side. In this basin we
laved our hurts until they were thoroughly cleansed from
the dry hard coagulated blood, and then we set about the
task of bandaging them up. Daphne, who, by the way, seemed
to have little or no idea of surgery, made herself of great
use to us in the bathing process, when once she understood
what was required; but when it came to bandaging she
found herself unable to help us further, and sorrowfully
confessed herself beaten. We were compelled to convert
our shirts, the only linen in our possession, into bandages;
and poor Daphne, to her evident extreme sorrow, had no

168 A CONGOESE BELLE.

linen to sacrifice to our necessities, or indeed any clothing
at all to speak of. The costume of a Congoese belle, accor-
ding to her rendering of it, was a petticoat of parti-coloured

bead fringe about twelve inches deep, depending loosely
from the hips; the rest of her clothing consisting entirely

as Mike Flanaghan would have said — of jewellery, of which
she wore a considerable quantity. I may as well here
enumerate her ornaments, for the information and benefit
of those who have never enjoyed the acquaintance of an
African beauty. In the first place she wore a circular band
of "metal, about two inches wide, round her head and across
her forehead. This band, or coronet, had a plain border of
about half an inch wide, and inside this border, for about
an inch in width throughout its length, the metal was cut
away in very fine lines, forming an intricate and really
elegant lace-like pattern. Then she wore also a very large
pair of circular ear-rings, similarly ornamented, these ornar
ments being so large and heavy that they had actually
stretched the lobes, and so spoiled the shape of what would
otherwise have been a very pretty pair of ears. Upon each
of her plump, finely-shaped arms, between the shoulder and
the elbow, she wore four or five massive armlets of peculiar
but by no means unskilled workmanship; and lastly, round
each ankle she wore a single anklet of similar workmanship.
On the previous night, when this rather lavish display of
jewellery had first attracted my casual notice, I had imagined
it to be brass ; but now, seeing it again in the full light of
day, I discovered it to be gold, almost or quite pure, as I
judged from its softness.

To return to our subject Daphne's orst task on our

A NEW KIND OF WEAPON. 169

arrival at the pool had been to kindle another fire; and,
after helping us as far as she could to doctor our wounds,
she next undertook an exploration of the forest in our im-
mediate neighbourhood, returning in about an hour's time
with three long, thin, straight shafts of a kind of bamboo,
and three small uprooted saplings. These articles she forth-
with plunged into the fire, and after an hour's diligent work
manipulated the bamboos into three very effective lances or
javelins, and the saplings into three truly formidable clubs,
the knotted roots being charred and trimmed until they
formed rounded heads as large as one's two fists put together.
One of each of these weapons she presented both to Smellie
and to me, retaining one of each for herself; and thus
armed, we were ready to set out once more upon our travels.
But it was high time that our wanderings should be
conducted with something like method. Our object was, of
course, to rejoin the ship with the least possible delay; and
before making a fresh start Smellie thought it would be
just as well to acquaint our companion with this our desire.
He accordingly undertook to do so, and a very amusing
scene resulted; but he succeeded at last in making his wish
clearly understood, and this achieved we once more resumed
our march.

CHAPTER XL

FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH.

Y the time that we were finally ready to start
it was about noon, and the heat had become
intensely oppressive. The refreshing zephyrs
of the morning had died completely away, and
the motionless atmosphere, rarefied by the burning rays of
the sun, was all aquiver. Not a beast, bird, or insect was
stirring throughout the whole length and breadth of the
far-stretching forest aisles. The grass, the flowers, the leaves
of the trees, the graceful festoons of parasitic creepers, were
all as still as though cut out of iron. The stagnant air was
saturated to oppressiveness with a thousand mingled per-
fumes; and not a sound of any kind broke in upon the
death-like stillness of the scene. It was Nature's silent
hour, the hour of intensest heat; that short interval about
noon when all living things appear to retire into the most
sheltered nooks — the darkest, coolest shadows ; the one hour
out of the twenty-four when absolute, unbroken silence
reigns throughout the African forest.

Under Daphne's leadership we struck off on a westerly
course through the green shadows of the forest, and toiled
laboriously forward until the dusky twilight warned us of

170

WHAT IS TO BE DONE? 171

the necessity for seeking a resting-place wherein to pass the
coming night. This was found at length in the centre of a
wide clearing or break in the forest ; and Smellie and I, at
Daphne's expressively - conveyed pantomimic suggestion,
forthwith set about gathering the wherewithal to build a
fire, whilst the damsel herself undertook the task of pro-
viding a supper for the party. Our task was barely com-
pleted when her dusky ladyship returned with three gray
parrots and a pair of green pigeons, as well as a large gourd
of water, from which we eventually managed to make a very
satisfying supper. A circle of fires was then built about our
camping-place, and we flung ourselves down in the long
grass to sleep, two at least of the party being, as I can
vouch, thoroughly done up.

We managed to get perhaps a couple of hours of sleep,

and then our rest was completely destroyed for the remain-
der of the night by a well-sustained attack on the part of
countless ticks, ants, and other inquisitive insects, which
persisted in perambulating our bodies and busily taking
sample bites out of our skins in an evident effort to ascertain
the locahty of the tenderest portions of our anatomy.

Next morning I discovered with the greatest concern that
SmelHe was downright ill, so much so that it soon became
evident it would be quite impossible for us to prosecute our
journey, for that day at least. Daphne's distress at this
unfortunate state of affairs was very keen, but she was a
pre-eminently sensible little body, seeing almost at a glance
what was wanted; and promptly diverting her sympathies
into a practical channel, she at once set off in search of a
more suitable abiding place than the one we had occupied

172 OUR CAMP.

through the night. This she at length found in an open
glade at no great distance; and thither we promptly removed
our patient, the rapidly-increasing seriousness of his symp-
toms admonishing us that there was little room for delay.

Our new camping place was a lovely spot, being an open
amphitheatre of about ten acres in extent surrounded on all
sides by the forest, and having a tiny rivulet of pure
sparkling fresh water flowing through it. Daphne of course
at once took the lead in the arrangements necessary for
what threatened to be a somewhat protracted sojourn; and
by her directions (it was singular how rapidly we were
learning to make ourselves mutually understood) I proceeded
in the first instance to clear away the grass, as far as pos-
sible, from a circular space some fifteen feet in diameter,
within a few yards of the bank of the stream. Daphne,
meanwhile, having borrowed Smellie's knife, went oiF into
the forest, from which she soon afterwards returned with a
heavy load of long tough pliant wands. Flinging these upon
the ground, she next busied herself in lighting a fire on the

partially cleared space, employing me to procure for her the
necessary materials; and when a large enough bonfire had

been constructed, and the embers were all red-hot, she
spread them carefully over the whole of the space upon
which I had been working, and thus effectually destroyed
what grass I had been unable to remove. This done our
next task was to cut all the wands or wattles to a uniform
length of about twenty-seven feet and point them at both
ends; after which, by driving the ends into the soil on
opposite sides of our cleared circle of ground, we soon had
complete the framework of a hemispherical bee-hive-like

DOWN WITH FEVEa 173

Structure. A second load of wattles was, however, necessary
to strengthen this framework to Daphne's liking, and leav-
ing poor Smellie for the nonce to take care of himself, the
pair of us set out to procure them. Daphne led me to a
dense brake wherein immense numbers of these wattles
were to be found, and leaving me to cut as many as I could
carry, proceeded further afield in quest of building material
of another sort. I had completed my task and was back in
camp preparing my load for use when Daphne returned j
and this time she came staggering in under a tremendous
load of palm-leaves, which I rightly guessed were to be used
for thatch. So we toiled on during the whole of that day,
which, like the preceding, was intensely hot, and by dusk
our hut was so far complete as to be capable of affording us
a shelter during the succeeding night. By mid-day of the
following day it was quite finished; and an efficient shelter
having thus been provided for Smellie from the scorching
rays of the sun, we were then in a position to give him our
undivided attention, of which he by that time stood in most
urgent need.

The ensuing fortnight was one of ceaseless anxiety to
Daphne and myself, poor Smellie being prostrate with raging
fever and utterly helpless during the whole of that time.
Fugitives as we were, and in a savage country, it was quite
out of our power to procure assistance, medical or otherwise.
We were thrown completely upon our own resources, and
we had nothing whatever to guide us in our inexperience.
Daphne, to my surprise, appeared to possess no knowledge
whatever of the healing art; and thus the treatment of our
patient devolved solely upon me. And what could I dol

174 BETWEEN LOVE AND DEATH,

I had DO drugs; and had I had access to the best appointed
apothecary's shop I should still have lacked the knowledge
requisite for a right use of its contents. So we were obliged,
no doubt fortunately for the patient, to allow Nature to
take her course, merely adopting such simple precautionary
measures as would suggest themselves to anyone possessed
of average common sense. We provided for our patient a
comfortable, fragrant, springy bed of a species of heather;
cleansed and dressed his wounds as often as seemed necessary;
kept him as cool as possible, and fed him entirely upon
fruits of a mild and agreeable acid flavour. During that
fortnight Smellie was undoubtedly hovering on the border-
land between life and death, and but for the tireless and
tender solicitude of Daphne I am convinced he would have
passed across the dividing line and entered the land of
shadows, I soon saw that this poor ignorant black girl,
this unsophisticated savage, had, all unknowingly to Smellie,
yielded up her simple untutored heart a willing captive to
the charm of his genial manner and gallant bearing; and
as the crisis approached which was to decide the question of
hfe or death with him, the unhappy girl established herself
beside him and seemed to enter upon a blind, dogged, ob-
stinate struggle with the Grim Destroyer, with the life of
the unconscious patient as the stake.

As for me, I was wretched, miserable beyond all power
of description. Knowing but little of Smellie, save as my
superior officer, until the terrible night when we found our-
selves fellow-captives doomed to a cruel death together, I
had since then seen so much that was noble and good in
him that I had speedily learned to iove him with ail my

A TICKUSH EXPEROIENT, 175

heart, ay, with the same love which David bore to Jonathan.
And there he lay, sick unto death, and I was powerless to
help him.

At length, leaving him one day under Daphne's care, I
sallied forth to seek a fresh supply of fruit for him, and,
wandering farther than usual afield in my misery and abs-
traction, I discovered a fruit-bearing tree quite new to me.
The fruit — a kind of nut somewhat similar to a walnut —
had a very strong, but by no means unpleasant, bitter taste,
and it suddenly occurred to me that possibly this fruit might
prove to be a not altogether ineffective substitute for quin-
ine. At all events, I was resolved to try it, on myself first,
if necessary, and I gathered as many of the nuts as I could
conveniently carry.

On my arrival at the hut I showed them to Daphne, and

tried to find out whether she knew anything about them;
but for once we failed to comprehend each other, and I was
obliged to carry out my original intention of experimenting
upon myself. With this object I opened the nuts and set
the kernels to steep in water in a gourd basin (upon setting
up housekeeping we soon accumulated quite a number of
gourd utensils). I observed with satisfaction that the water
soon began to acquire a brown colour; and after my decoc-
tion had stood for about three hours I found that its flavour
had become quite as strong as was desirable. Fearing
to take much at the outset, lest I should unwittingly be
swallowing poison, I drank about a quarter of a pint, and
then, with some anxiety, awaited the result. It was about
noon when I swallowed the potion, and two hours after-
wards I was more hungry than I remembered to have ever

176 LOVE AND THE AMATEUR DOCTOR.

been before. So far, good; I determined to wait until night,
and then, if no worse result than hunger revealed itself, try
the effect of my new medicine upon Smellie. By sunset I
had come to the conclusion, that whatever else my decoction
might be, it was not a poison, and with, I must confess, a
certain amount of fear and trepidation, I at last prevailed
upon myself to administer the draught, sitting down forth-
with to watch and await the result. By midnight the most
that could be said of our patient was that he was no worse ;
and, encoiu-aged on the whole by this negative result, I then
administered a second and larger dose. Next morning I
thought I detected signs of improvement, and by sundown
the improvement was no longer doubtful ; the dry, scorching
feeling of the skin had given place to a cool healthy moi&
ture; the pulse was slower; the fevered and excited brain
at length found rest, and the patient at last even pleaded
guilty to a feeling of hunger.

Jubilation now reigned supreme in our palm-leaf hut ; the
fatted calf (in the shape of a parrot of gorgeous plumage)
was killed — and devoured by the patient with something
approaching to relish — and my reputation as a great medi-
cine-man was thenceforth fully established.

From this time Smellie began to slowly mend, thanks as
much, probably, to Daphne's tireless nursing and assiduous
care as to the relentless perseverance with which I adminis-
tered my new medicine; and in httle more than a week he
was able, with assistance, to totter into the open air and sit
for half an hour or so under the shadow of a rough awning
of thatch which Daphne and I had with some difficulty con-
trived to rig up for him.

A SUSPICIOUS-LOOKING STRANGER. 177

Our little black friend still continued to devote herself
wholly to Smellie, waiting upon him hand and foot, watch-
ing beside him night and day, fanning him with a palm-leaf,
or feeding him on delicious fruit whilst he lay awake under

his rude shelter drawing in fresh life and renewed health
at every inspiration of the delicious, perfume-laden air, and

snatching brief intervals of rest only whilst he slept. In
consequence of this arrangement the furnishing of the larder
devolved wholly upon me, and I soon acquired a consider-
able amount of skill in bringing down my game, principally
birds, either by a dexterous cast of my club, or by means
of a long reed tube, like an exaggerated pea-shooter, from
which I puffed little reed darts to a great distance with con-
siderable force.

About a fortnight after Smellie had exhibited the first
symptoms of improvement I went out foraging as usual,
and, having secured the necessary supplies, was within a
quarter of a mile of our hut, on my return journey, when I
suddenly discovered a negro stealing cautiously along from
tree to tree before me. His actions were so suspicious that
my curiosity was aroused, and, placing myself in ambush
behind the nearest tree, I resolved to watch him. He was
making straight for our hut, dodging from tree to tree, and
lurking behind each until he had apparently satisfied himself
that the coast ahead was perfectly clear. Such excessive
caution on the stranger's part, coupled with the fact that he
carried four broad-pointed spears, seemed to me to indicate
a purpose the direct reverse of friendly, and I came to the
conclusion that it would be well to shorten the distance be-
tween him and myself a trifle, if possible. This, however,

(290) M

178 I FAIL AT A CRITICAL

was not by any means easy to do until the skulking savage
had arrived within sight of the hut, when he paused long
enough to allow of my creeping up to within a dozen yards
of him, when the reason for his hesitation became apparent.
Smelhe and Daphne were under the awning outside the
hut, and my mysterious friend could advance no further
without passing into the open clearing, and so revealing
himself.

We remained thus for fully half an hour, the savage so
intently watching the couple under the awning that he had
not the remotest suspicion of being himself watched. At
the end of that time, the sun having set meanwhile, Smellie
staggered to his feet, and, leaning on Daphne's shoulder,
passed into the hut.

My mysterious neighbour maintained his position for
some five minutes longer, and then, springing from his
hiding-place, made a dash for the hut at full speed, I follow-
ing. When I emerged from the forest into the open amphi-
theatre in the centre of which stood our hut, the savage was
some fifty yards ahead of me, running like a hunted deer.
I began to fear that he was bent on mischief of some kind,
and — now that it was too late — keenly regretted the in-
decision which had allowed him to remain so long unchal-
lenged. In my anxiety to check his speed I raised a shout.
At the sound he glanced over his shoulder, saw me in hot
pursuit, and paused for an instant, dashing forward the next

moment, however, more rapidly than even

My shout was evidently heard by the occupants of the
hut, for Daphne immediately afterwards appeared at the
entrance At the sight of the figure bounding toward her

**MY LIFE FOR THINE." 179

she uttered a little cry and put out her hands protestingly,
calling out to him at the same time. I could not catch the
words she uttered, and if I could have done so it is very
improbable that I should have understood them, but it
struck me that they conveyed either a warning or an ap-
peal. Whatever they were, he paid no attention to them,
but still rushed forward, brandishing a spear threateningly.
In another second or two he reached the hut and endea-
voured to force an entrance. To this, however, Daphne
offered the most energetic opposition, obstinately maintain-
ing her position in the doorway. The savage then strove to
force his way in, but Daphne still persisting in her opposi-
tion he drew back a pace, and, raising his arm with a savage
cry, drove the broad-bladed javelin with all his brutal

strength down into her bare bosom. The poor girl stag-
gered under the force of the blow, and with a stifled
shriek and an appealing cry to "Haloid," reeled backward,
and fell to the ground inside the hut. Meanwhile, the
savage, leaving the javelin quivering in the body of his
victim, turned to meet me, snatching another javelin with
his right hand from his left at the same instant; and as he
did so I recognized our former enemy, the fetish-man or
witch-doctor of Daphne's village. I was by this time within
arm's-length of him, and, quick as light, he made a lunge at
me. By a happy chance I succeeded in parrying the stroke
with the blow-pipe which I held in my left hand, and then,
springing in upon him, I dealt him so tremendous a blow
with my heavy, knotted, hard-wood club that his skull
crashed under it like an egg-shell, and he fell a brainless
corpse at my feet.

180 TOO iate! too late!!

Entering the hut I found Smellie on his knees beside the
lifeless body of Daphne.

" Too late, Hawkesley ! you were just too late to save this
poor devoted girl," he murmured. "Only a few seconds
earlier, and you would have been in time to arrest the mur-
derous blow. She is quite dead; indeed her death must
have been instantaneous. See, the blade of the javelin is
quite a foot long, and it was completely buried in her body;
it must have passed clean through her heart. Poor girl!
she was indeed faithful unto death, for it was my life that
yonder murderous wretch thirsted for. You doubtless
recognized him— the fetish-man who strove so hard to ter-
rify us on the night of the sacrifice in the village 'i I am
convinced that, in his anger and chagrin at our escape, he
has patiently hunted us down, determined to make us feel
his vengeance in one way if he failed in the other. Poor
Daphne clearly read his intention, I am sure; and it was
her resistance, her defence of poor helpless me, that brought
this cruel death upon her. Well, God's will be done ! The
poor girl was only an ignorant savage, and it is hardly pos-
sible that she can ever have heard His holy name mentioned;
but for all that she had pity upon the stranger and him who
had no helper, and I cannot but believe that she will there-
for receive her full reward. It only remains now to so dis-
pose of her body that it shall be secure from violation by
the birds of the air and the beasts of the field. But how is

that to be done?"

He might well ask. We had neither shovel nor any other
appliance wherewith to dig a grave, and it was obviously
impossible to do so with our bare hands alone. We at

THE FUNERAL PYRE. 181

length decided to bum both the bodies, and I forthwith set
about the construction of a funeral pyre. Fortunately, we
had the forest close at hand; the ground beneath the trees
was abundantly strewn with dry leaves, twigs, and branches,
and thus I had not far to go for fuel. By the time that
darkness closed in I had accumulated a goodly pile close to
the edge of the open amphitheatre, and thither I at length
conveyed both the bodies, laid them on the top of the pyre,
and finally ignited the heap of dried leaves which I had
arranged in the centre.

This done, Smellie came out of the hut, and we stood
side by side mournfully watching the crematory process,
Naturally, we were very keenly distressed at the untimely
and tragic fate which had overtaken our staunch little friend
Daphne. She had been so cheerful, so helpful, and — par-
ticularly during Smellie's illness — so tender, so gentle, so
sympathetic, and so tireless in her ministrations, that, uncon-
sciously to ourselves, we had acquired for her quite a fraternal
affection. As I stood there watching the fierce, bright flames
which were steadily reducing her body to ashes, and recalled
to mind the countless services she had rendered us during
the short period of our mutual wanderings, and, above all, the
fervent compassion which had moved her to a voluntary and
permanent abandonment of home and friends for the sake of
two helpless strangers of a race entirely alien to her own,

my heart felt as though il would burst with sorrow at her
cruel fate. As for Smellie, trembling with weakness and
depressed in spirits as he was after his recent sharp attack
of fever, he completely broke down, and, lajdng his head
upon my shoulder, sobbed like a child. Poor Daphne! it

182 WE RESUME OUR WANDERINGS.

seemed hard that she should thus, in the first bright flush
and glory of her maidenhood, be struck down, and the light
of her Kfe extinguished by the ruthless hand of a murderer;
and yet, perhaps, after all, it was better so, better that she
should enjoy the bliss of laying down her life for the sake of
the man she loved, rather than that, living on, she should see
the day when all the vague, indefinite hopes and aspirations
of her innocent, unsophisticated heart would crumble into
ashes in a moment, and the man who, all unknowingly, had
become the autocrat of her fate and the recipient of her blind,
passionate, unreasoning love should lightly and smilingly
bid her an eternal farewell.

At length the fire died down : the crematory process was
completed; nothing remained of the pyre and its burden
but a smouldering heap of gray, flaky ashes; and we re-
turned sorrowfully to our hut, there to forget in sleep, if
we could, the grievous loss we had sustained.

The painful incident of Daphne's death produced so dis-
tressing an effect upon Smellie in his feeble condition that
another week passed away before he was suflSciently re-
covered to admit of our resuming our journey. By the end
of that time, however, his strength had in some measure
returned, and a feverish anxiety to get away from the scene
of the tragedy having taken possession of him, we made
what few preparations we had it in our power to make and
got under weigh directly after breakfast on one of the most
delightful mornings it has ever been my good fortune to
witness.

Our progress was, of course, painfully slow; but by this
time speed was a matter of merely secondary importance,

AN AGREEABLE SURPRISE. 183

since we knew that we must long since have been given up
by our shipmates as dead; and that the Daphne was, in all
probability, hundreds of miles away in an unknown direction.
It was quite possible that on reaching the river's mouth we
might have to wait weeks, or even months, before she would

again make her appearance and give us an opportunity to
rejoin.

Day after day we plodded on through the glorious forest,
following no pathway, but shaping a course as directly west
as circumstances would permit, meeting with no incidents
worthy of mention, picking up a sufficient subsistence with-
out much trouble, our way beguiled by glorious prospects of
wood and river, and our curiosity fed by the countless strange
glimpses into the secrets of nature afforded us as we wended
our way through that lonely wilderness. "We slept well at
night in spite of the babel of sounds which rose and fell
around us ; awoke in the morning refreshed and hungry; and
so entered upon another day. The life was by no means one
of hardship; and what was most important of all, Smellie
was slowly but steadily regaining strength and progressing
toward recovery.

At length, late in the afternoon of the fifth day from that
which had witnessed the resumption of our journey, our wan-
derings came unexpectedly to an end, for a time at least, by
our stumbling, in the most unexpected manner in the world,
upon a human habitation. And the strangest as well as the
most fortunate part of it was that the habitation in question
was the abode of civilized humanity. We had been travel-
ling, almost uninterruptedly, along the ridge of a range of
hills, and on the afternoon in question had reached a spot

184 A HAVEN OF REST.

where the range took an abrupt turn to the southward, cur-
ving round in a sort of arm which encircled a basin or valley
of perhaps half a mile in width, open to the river on the
north side. The hill-side sloped gently down to the valley-
bottom on the eastern, southern, and western sides, and was
much more thickly wooded than the country through which
we had hitherto been passing. In the very thickest part of
the wood, however, and about half-way down the slope, was
a clearing of some ten acres in extent, and in the centre of
the clearing a very neat and pretty-looking house, with a
verandah runnini: all round it, and a thatched roof. The
clearing itself appeared to be in a high stat-e of cultivation,
a flower-garden of about an acre in extent lying immediately
in front of the house, whilst the remainder of the ground
was thickly planted Avith coffee, peach, banana, orange, and
various other fruit-trees.

We lost no time in making our way to this very desirable
haven, and had scarcely passed through the gate in the fence
which smTOunded the clearing when we were fortunate
enough to encounter the proprietor himself. He was a very
fine handsome specimen of a n^an, with snow-white hair and
moustache, both closely cropped, and an otherwise clean-
shaven face, which, with his neck and hands, were deeply
bronzed by exposure to the vertical rays of the sun. He
was clad in white flannel, his head being protected by a light
and very finety woven grass hat with an enormous brim, whilst
his feet were encased in a pair of slippers of soft un tanned
leather. He was busily engaged among his coffee-trees when he
first caught sight of us ; and his start of surprise at our extra-
ozdinary appearance was closely followed up by a profound

DON MANUEL CARNEKO. 185

bow as he at once came forward and courteously addressed us
in Spanish. Unhappily neither Smellie nor I understood a
word of the language, so the second lieutenant answered the
hail in French. The old gentleman shook his head and, I
thought, looked rather annoyed, Avhereupon Smellie tried
him in English, to which, very much to my surprise, I must
confess, he responded with scarcely a trace of accent.

** Welcome, gentlemen, welcome!" he exclaimed, with out-
stretched hand. *'So you are English? Well, after all, I
might have guessed it. I am glad you are not French — very
glad. Do me the honour to consider my house and every-
thing it contains as your own. You have met with some
serious misfortune, I grieve to see; but if you will allow him,
Manuel Carnero will do his best to repair it. You have

evidently suffered much, and appear to be in as urgent need
of medical attendance as you are of clothing. Fortunately,
I can supply you with both, and shall be only too happy to
do so; I have a very great regard for the English. Come,
gentlemen, allow me to conduct you to the house."

So saying, he escorted us up the pathway until the house
was reached, when, stepping quickly before us, he passed
through the open doorway, and then, turning round, once
more bade us welcome to his roof.

CHAPTER XIL

DO?!fA ANTONIA.

HE ceremony of bidding us formal welcome
having been duly performed to Don Manuel's
satisfaction, he turned once more and called
in stentorian tones for some invisible indi-
vidual named Pedro, who, quickly making his appearance in
the shape of a grave decorous-looking elderly man-servant,
received certain instructions in Spanish; after which our
host, turning to us, informed us that his valet would have
the honour of showing us to our rooms. Thereupon the
sedate and respectful Pedro, who was far too well-trained a
servant to betray the slightest symptom of surprise at our
exceedingly disreputable appearance, led the way to two
small but pleasantly situated rooms adjoining each other,
and, bowing profoundlj^ to each of us as we passed into our
respective apartments, closed the doors and withdrew.

The rooms in question were furnished with bed, wash-
stand, dressing-table, &c., precisely in the English fashion-
but the floors, instead of being covered with carpets, were
bare, save for a large and handsome grass mat which occu-
pied the centre of the room. I flung myself into a chair and
was gazing complacently about me, congratulating myself
upon the good fortune which had guided our wandering

186

A TRANSFORMATION. 187

feet to such exceedingly comfortable quarters, when I heard
Smellie's door open, and the next moment caught the tones
of Don Manuel's voice. Directly afterwards a knock came to
my own door, and upon my shouting "Come in," Pedro re-
appeared bearing upon his arm what proved to be a complete
rig-out from stem to stem, including even a hat and a pair
of shoes. These he spread out upon the bed, and then once
more withdrew.

I took the garments up and looked at them. They were
]ust about my size, a trifle large, perhaps, but nothing worth
speaking about; they had evidently been worn before, but
were in excellent condition, beautifully clean, and altogether
so iuAating that I lost no time in exchanging them for my
rags. This exchange, in addition to a pretty thorough
ablution, made quit« a new man of me; I felt actually com-
fortable once more, for the first time since leaving the Daphne
on the occasion of that unfortunate night attack.

Smellie was still in his room, for I could hear him moving
about, so I went in, curious to know whether he had fared
equally well with myself. I found him struggling, with
Pedro's assistance, slowly and rather painfully into a some-
what similar suit to that which I had donned ; but the poor
fellow, though still very thin and haggard, looked brighter,
better, and altogether more comfortable than I had seen him
for a long time, our new friend jDon Manuel having person-
ally dressed his wounds for him before turning him over to
the hands of Pedro.

The second lieutenant looked at me in astonishment

"Why, Hawkesley, is that you?'* he exclaimed, "Upon
my word, young gentleman, you look vastly comfortable
and vastly well, too, in your borrowed plumes. Why, you
are worth a dozen dead men yet"

" I think I may say the same of you, my dear dr," J^

188 DON MANUEL'S DAUGHTER

replied " I am heartily glad to see so great a change in
your appearance."

"Thank you very much," he returned. "Yes, I feel
actually comfortable once more. Don Manuel has dressed
and bound up my wounds, applying soothing salves to them,
and altogether tinkering me up until I am pretty nearly as
good as new. But, Hawkesley, my dear boy, are we in our
sober senses, or is this only a delightful dream? I can
scarcely realize that I am awake; that we are actually among
our fellow-men once more ; and that I am surrounded by the
walls and sheltered by the roof of a material house, in which,
as it seems to me, we are likely to enjoy a good many of the
comforts of civilization. But come,'* as he settled himself
into a loose white flannel jacket, " let us join our host, who^
I have reason to believe, is awaiting our presence at his
dinner- table. Heave ahead, Pedro, my lad; we're quite

ready to weigh."

Pedro might have understood Smellie's every word, so
promptly did he fling open the door and bow us to follow
him. Leading us along a cool and rather dark corridor, he
conducted us to the front part of the house, and throwing
open the door of a large and very handsomely furnished
apartment, loudly announced us in Spanish as what I took
to be "the English hidalgos."

Don Manuel was awaiting us in this room, and on our
entrance rose to greet us with that lofty yet graceful cour-
tesy which seems peculiar to the Spaniard. Then, turning
slightly, he said :

" Allow me, gentlemen, to present to you my daughter
Antonia, the only member of my family remaining to me.
Antonia, these are two English gentlemen who, I trust, will
honour us so far as to remain our guests for some time to
come."

A PEN-AND-INK PORTRAIT. 189

We duly bowed in response to her graceful curtsey, and
her few words of welcome, spoken in the most piquant and
charming of broken English, and then, I believe, went in to
dinner. I say, I believe we went in to dinner on that event-
ful evening, because I know it was intended that we should;
but I have no rec611ection whatever of having partaken of
the meaL For the rest of that evening I was conscious of
but one thing — the presence of Antonia Carnero.

How shall I describe her ?

She was of medium height, with a superbly moulded
figure, neither too stout nor too slim; a small well-poised
head crowned with an immense quantity of very dark
wavy chestnut hair having a golden gleam where the light
fell upon it but black as night in its shadows ; dark finely-
arched eyebrows surmounting a pair of perfectly glorious
brilliant dark-brown eyes, now sparkling with merriment

and anon melting with deepest tenderness; very long thick
dark eyelashes; a nose the merest trifle retroussd/ a dain-
tily-shaped mouth with full ripe ruddy lips; and a prettily
rounded chin with a well-developed dimple in its centre.
Her voice was musical as that of a bird; her complexion was
a clear pale olive; her movements were as graceful and un-
restrained as those of a gazelle ; and she was only eighteen
years of age, though she looked more like two-and-twenty.

We were a very pleasant party at dinner that evening.
Don Manuel was simply perfect as a host, courteously and
watchfully attentive to our slightest wants, and frankness
itself in his voluntary explanation of the why and the
wherefore of his establishment of himself in such an out-of-
the-way place. Antonia, whilst not taking any very pro-
minent part in the conversation, struck in now and then
with a suggestive, explanatory, or playful remark, showing
that she was was both attentive to and interested in the

190 DON bianuel's explanation.

conversation. Smellie, more easy and comfortable, both in
mind and body, than he had been for many a day, abandoned
himself to the pleasant influences of his surroundings and
bore his part like the cultured English gentleman he was;
his deep rich melodious voice, easy graceful bearing, com-
manding figure, and handsome face, still pale and wan from
his recent suflferings, evidently proving immensely attractive
to Dona Antonia, much to my secret disgust. As for me, I
am afraid I did little more than sit a silent worshipper at
the shrine of this sylvan beauty upon whom we had so
unexpectedly stumbled.

Don Manuel informed us that, though a Spaniard by
birth, he had spent so many years in England that all his
tastes and sympathies had become thoroughly Anglicized;
that his second wife. Dona Antonia*s mother, had been an
Englishwoman; that he was an enthusiastic naturalist; and
that he had chosen the banks of the Congo for his home
principally in order that he might be able to study fully and
at his leisure the fauna and flora of that little-known region;
adding parenthetically that he had found the step not only
a thoroughly agreeable but also a fairly profitable one, by
doing a little occasional business with the whites who fre-
quented the river on the one hand and with the natives on
the other. I thought he looked a trifle discomposed when
Smellie informed him that we were English naval officers,
and I am quite sure he did when he was further informed
that we had been in the hands of the natives. A very per-
ceptible shade of anxiety clouded his features when Smellie
recounted our adventures from the moment of our leaving
the Ba'ph'm; and once or twice he shook his head in a
manner which seemed to suggest the idea that he thought
we might perhaps prove to be rather dangerous guests,
under all the circumstances. If, however, any such idea

SYMPTOMS. 191

really entered his mind he was careful to restrain all expres-
sion of it, and at the end of Smellie's narrative he uttered
just the few courteous phrases of polite concern which
seemed appropriate to the occasion and then allowed the
subject to drop. Dona Antonia, on the contrary, evinced a
most Hvely interest in the story, her face lighting up and
her eyes flashing as she asked question after question, and
her parted lips quivering with excitement and sympathetic
apprehension as Smellie lightly touched upon the critical
situations in which we had once or twice found ourselves.
To my great surprise, and, I may add, disappointment,
however, she did not exhibit very much sympathy in poor
Daphne's tragic fate; on the contrary, she appeared to me
to listen with a feeling closely akin to impatience to all
that part of the story with which the negro girl was con-
nected 3 and Smellie's frequent mention of the poor unfor-
tunate creature actually elicited once or twice a slight but
quite unmistakable shrug of the lovely shoulders and a
decidedly contemptuous flash from the glorious eyes of his
fair auditor.

I may as well at once confess frankly that, with the usual
susceptibility of callow youth, I promptly became captivated
by the charms of our lovely hostess; and I may as well
complete my confession by stating that, with the equally
usual overweening conceit of callow youth, I quite expected
to find my clumsy and ill-timed eflbrts to render myself
agreeable to my charmer speedily successful. In this
expectation, however, I was doomed to be grievously dis-
appointed; for I soon discovered that, whilst Dona Antonia
was good-natured enough to receive my awkward attentions
with unvarjdng patience and poHteness, it was Smellie^s
footstep and the sound of his voice which caused her eyes to
sparkle, her cheek to flush, and her bosom to heave tumultu-

192 A NEW ACQUAINTANCE.

ously. So, in extreme disgust at the lady's deplorable lack
of taste and discernment, I was fain to abandon my efforts
to fascinate her, attaching myself to her father instead and
accompanying him, gun in hand, on his frequent rambles
through the forest in search of "specimens."

Eeturning to the house one evening rather late, we found
a stranger awaiting Don ManueVs arrival. That is to say,

he was a stranger to Smellie and myself, but he was evi-
dently a tolerably intimate acquaintance of our host and

hostess. He was a tall, dark, handsome, well-built man,
evidently a Spaniard, with black restless gleaming eyes, a
well-knit figure, and a manner so very free-and-easy as to
be almost offensive. His attire consisted of a loose jacket
of fine blue cloth garnished with gold buttons, a fine linen
shirt of snowy whiteness, loose white nankeen trousers
confined at the waist by a crimson silk sash, and a pair of
canvas slippers on his otherwise naked feet. He wore a
pair of gold rings in his small well-shaped ears, and the
gold-mounted horn handle of what was doubtless a stiletto
peeped unobtrusively from among the folds of his sash. A
crimson cap of knitted silk with a tassel of the same depend-
ing from its pointed crown lay on a chair near him, and
completed a costume which, whilst it undoubtedly set off
his very fine figure to advantage, struck me as being of a
somewhat theatrical character. Don Manuel greeted him
in Spanish with effusion, and yet with — I thought — a faint
suspicion of uneasiness, on our entrance, and then introduced
him to Smellie and me in English, as Senor Garcia Madera.
He bowed stiffly in acknowledgment, murmured something
to the effect that he "no speak Inglese," and then rather
rudely turned his back upon us, and addressing Dona
Antonia in Spanish, evidently laid himself out to play the
agreeable to her.

KIVAtS. 193

I think we all — except Seiior Madera — felt slightly un-

comfortable at dinner and for the remainder of that evening.

Don Manuel indeed strove with all his might to promote
and encourage general conversation, but his behaviour lacked
that graceful ease which usually characterized it, his manner
was constrained; he was obviously making an effort to
dissipate the slight suggestion of discord which obstinately
asserted itself in the social atmosphere, and I could see
that he was a little ruffled at finding his efforts unsuccessful
As for Antonia, it was easy to see that the new guest was
to her an unwelcome one, and his persevering attentions
distasteful to her; yet, either because he was a guest or for
some other cogent reason, she evidently did her best to be
agreeable and conciliatory to the man, casting, however,
slight furtive deprecatory glances in Smellie's direction, from
time to time, as she did so.

Senor Madera — who wa« evidently a seaman and not
improbably the master of a slaver — remained the guest ot
Don Manuel for the night, ' sleeping under his roof, and
taking his departure very early next morning, before either
Smellie or I had turned out, in fact. On our making our
appearance Don Manuel referred to his late visitor, explain-
ing that he commanded a ship which traded regularly to the
river, and was one of the few individuals through whom he
maintained communication with his native country. He
apologized very gracefully for his acquaintance's brusque
behaviour of the night before, which, whilst deprecating, he
explained by attributing it to a feeling of jealousy, Madera
having, it would appear, exhibited a decided disposition to
pay serious attention to Dona Antonia during his last two
or three visits. And — ^Don Manuel suggested — ^being like
the rest of his countrymen, of an exceedingly jealous disposi-
tion, it was possible that he would feel somewhat annoyed

(200) K

194 DON 5fANUEL aTEETS WITH AN ACCIDENT.

at finding two gentlemen domiciled beneath the same roof
as his inamorata. At this Smellie drew himself up rather
haughtily, and was beginning to express his profound
regret that our presence in the house should prove the
means of introducing a discordant element into an affair
of so delicate a nature, when Don Manuel interrupted him
by assuring us both that he regarded the circumstance as
rather fortunate than otherwise, since, however much he
might esteem Senor Madera as an acquaintance and a man
of business, he was by no means the class of person to
whom he would be disposed to confide the happiness of his
daughter.

This little apology and explanation having been made,
the party separated, Smellie retiring to the verandah with a
book to study Spanish, while Don Manuel and I trudged off
with our guns and butterfly-nets as usual.

On our return we found that Madera had again put in an
appearance, and another evening of constraint and irritation
was the result. This occurred also on the third evening,
after which for a short time Senor Madera, apparently con-
scious of the fact that his company was not altogether
desirable, relieved us of his presence.

Just at this time it happened unfortunately — or fortu-
nately rather, as the event proved — that Don Manuel was
confined to the house, his hand having been badly stung by
some poisonous insect, and I availed myself of the oppor-
tunity to make an exploration of the neighbourhood. We
had of course taken an early opportunity to acquaint Don
Manuel with our expectation that the Daphne would again
visit the river at no very distant period, and that whenever
such an event occurred we should make a very strenuous
effort to rejoin herj and he had promised to use every means
that lay in his power to procure for us timely notice of her

I GO EXPLORING. 195

arrival, pointing out at the same time the paucity of his
sources of information, and suggesting that whilst it would
afford him unmingled pleasure to retain us as his guests for
an indefinite period it would be well for us when we were
quite tired of our sojourn ashore to ourselves keep a look-out
for the appearance of the ship. So on the occasion of Don
Manuel's accident, finding Smellie unwilling — as indeed he
was still unable — to take a long walk, I determined, as I
have already said, to make a thorough exploration of the
neighbourhood, and at the same time endeavour to ascertain
whether the Daphne was once more in the river.

Madera's appearance at Don Manuel's house, coupled with
the evident fact that he was a seaman, had at once suggested
to me the strong probability that there must be a navigable
creek at no very great distance ; and I thought it might be
useful to ascertain whether such actually was or was not

the case, and — in the event of this question being decided
in the affirmative — also to ascertain the precise locality of
the said creek. Of course it would have been a very simple
matter to put the question directly to Don Manuel ; but he
had evhiced such very palpable embarrassment and reticence
whenever Madera's name had been mentioned that I thought
it would be better to rely, in the first instance at all events,
upon my own personal investigations. So when I left the
house that morning it was with the determination to settle
this question before turning my attention to anything else. %

At a distance of about half a mile from the house the level
ridge of the chain of hills was interrupted by a lofty hum-
mock rising some two hundred feet higher than the hills
themselves, affording a capital look-out; and to this spot I
first of all directed my steps. On arriving at the place,
however, I found the growth of timber to be so thick as to
completely exclude the prospect; and the only means whereby

196 A DISCOVERY.

I could take advantage of my superior elevation, therefore,
was to climb a tree. I accordingly looked about me, and at
last picked out an immense fellow whose towering height
seemed to promise me an uninterrupted view; and, aided by
the tough rope-like creepers which depended from its branches,
I soon reached its top. From this commanding position I
obtained, as I had expected, an imbroken view of the coun-
try all round me for a distance of at least thirty miles.
The river was naturally a prominent object in the landscape,
and, exactly opposite me, was about three miles in width,
though, in consequence of the numerous islands which
crowded its channel, the water-way was scarcely anywhere
more than half a mile in width. These islands ceased about
four miles lower down the river, leaving the channel per-
fectly clear; but they extended up the river in an unbroken
chain to the very limits of my horizon. But what gratified
me most was the discovery that in clear weather, such as
happened to prevail just then, I could see right down to the
mouth of the river, Shark Point being just discernible on
the western horizon. Boolambemba Point was clearly de
fined; and I felt convinced that, on a fine day and with a
good telescope, I should be able to see and even to identify
the Daphnej should she happen to be at anchor in Banana
Creek at the time.

This important point settled, I turned my attention to
matters nearer at hand, and began to look about me for the
creek, the existence of which I so strongly suspected. For
a few minutes I was unable to locate it; but suddenly my
eye, wandering over the vast sea of vegetation which lay
spread out beneath me, became arrested by the appearance
of a slender straight object projecting a few feet above the
tree-tops. A careful scrutiny of this object satisfied me that
it must be the mast-head of a ship ; and where the ship was,

IN THE AfANGROVB SWAMP. 197

there, too, would be the creek. Doubtless the craft lying
there so snug, and in so suspiciously secret a harbour, was
the one to which our rather insolent acquaintance Madera
belonged; and curiosity strongly prompted me to have a
look at her. Accordingly, taking her bearings by the posi-
tion of the sun, I descended the tree and set out upon my
quest

I estimated that she was distant from my view-point about
two miles, and about one mile from Don Manners house.
A walk of perhaps three quarters of an hour conducted me
to the edge of a mangrove swamp ; and I knew then that
the creek must be at no great distance. Plunging boldly
into the swamp, I made my way as best I could over the
tangled roots in what I deemed the proper direction, and
after a toilsome scramble of another quarter of an hour
found myself at the water's edge.

The creek was precisely similar in character to all the
others with which I had previously made acquaintance ; but
so narrow and shallow at the point where I had hit it off
that I saw at once, to my vexation, that I must have a further
scramble among the mangrove-roots, exposed all the while
to the attacks of countless hosts of bloodthirsty mosquitoes,
if I would gratify my desire to see Senor Madera's vessel
And, having gone so far, I determined not to turn back
until I had satisfied my curiosity; so on I went. My pace
over such broken ground was naturally not very brisk, so
that it was fully an hour later before I found myself stand-
ing—well concealed behind an intervening tree-trunk — op-
posite a small but beautifully-modelled schooner, moored
head and stern close alongside the opposite bank. She was
a craft of about one hundred and twenty tons register,
painted gray, with very lofty spars, topsail-rigged forward,
very little standing rigging, and a most wicked look all over.

198 SHIPPING SLAVES.

When I put in my unobtrusive appearance the crew were
busy with a couple of long untrimmed pine spars, the ends
of which they were getting ashore. A few minutes' observa-
tion sufficed to satisfy me that they were rigging a gangway;
and, settling myself comfortably in a position where my pre-
sence could not be detected, I determined to see the matter
out. I looked carefully for Senor Madera on board, but was
unable to detect his presence; I therefore concluded that,
unlikely as such a supposition seemed, he had left the ship
to make an early call upon Don Manuel.

The gangway was soon rigged, and after testing it by
passing along it three or four times one of the schooner's
crew disappeared in the bush, A quarter of an hour later
he returned, closely followed by a number of armed natives
in charge of a gang of slaves, who — poor wretches— were
secured together in pairs by means of heavy logs of wood
lashed to their necks. These slaves were mostly men; but
there were a few young women with them, two or three
of whom carried quite young babies lashed on their backs.
And every slave, not excepting the women with children,
was loaded with one large or two small tusks of ivory.
These unfortunates were driven straight on board the
schooner, the ivory was taken from them as they reached
the deck, and they were then driven below; the clink, clink
of hammers which immediately afterwards proceeded from
the schooner's hold bearing witness to the business-like
promptitude with which the unhappy creatures were being
secured- I counted them as they passed in over the gang-
way; they numbered sixty-three; and, judging from the
schooner's size, I calculated that she had accommodation for
about one hundred and fifty ; her cargo being therefore in-
complete, I feared we should be called upon to endure Senor
Madera's presence for at least another day or two. The

A FORTUNATE IMPULSE. 199

wretches who constituted the schooner's crew were a very

F

noisy set, laughing, chattering, and shouting at the top of
their voices, and altogether exhibiting by their utter care-
lessness a perfect consciousness of the fact that there were
no men-o'-war just then anywhere near the river. How
heartily I wished there had been a pennant of some sort at
hand; I felt that I would not have cared what might be its
nationality, I would have found means to board the craft,
conveying the news of that wretched slaver's whereabouts,
and afterwards assisting, if possible, in her capture.

I remained snugly ensconced in my hiding-place until the
clearing up and washing down of the decks informed me that
work was over on board the schooner for that day, and then
set out cautiously to return to the house. I managed to
effect a retreat into the cover of the bush without betraying
myself; and then, moved by a quite uncontrollable impulse,
bent my steps once more in the direction of the hill-top, from
which I had that morning effected my reconnaissance —
though it took me considerably out of my way — determined
to have just one more look round before settling myself for
the evening.

It was about four o'clock p.m. by the position of the sun
when I once more stood beneath the overshadowing foliage
of the tree which I had used as an observatory; and ten
minutes later I found myself among its topmost branches.
The atmosphere was luckily still quite clear, a fresh breeze
from the eastward having prevailed during the whole of that
day; but a purplish haze was gathering on the western
horizon, and my heart leapt into my mouth — to make use
of a well-worn figure of speech — when, standing out in clear
relief against this soft purple-gray background, I saw, far
away in the south-western board, the gleaming white sails
of a ship stretching in toward the land under easy cawvas.

200 "MY KINGDOM FOR A TELESCOPK!"

It was this latter fact, of the ship being under easy canvas,
which so greatly gratified me. A slaver or an ordinary
trader would have been pressing in under every stitch that
would draw — as indeed would a man-o'-war if she were upon
some definite errand — but only a man-o'-war would approach
the land in that leisurely manner with evening close at hand.
The stranger was a long distance off — perhaps as much as
twenty miles — and it was, of course, impossible to see more
than that she was a ship of some sort; but I had by that

time acquired experience enough to know, from the tiny
white speck which gleamed up against the haze, that she was
coming in under topsails only. What would I not have
given just then to have held my trusty telescope in my hand
once more just for an hour or so 1

Suddenly I remembered having one day seen a very fine
instrument belonging to Don Manuel in his own especial
den. It was really an astronomical telescope; but, like many
similar instruments, it was also provided with a terrestrial
eye-piece, for I had looked through it across the river, and
had marvelled at its far-reaching power. It was fitted to a
tripod stand, but could be disconnected at will; and the bold
idea presented itself to me of borrowing this instrument for
a short time in order to ascertain, if possible, the nationality
of the stranger. It was of course just possible that she
might be English, in which event it would manifestly be
Smellie's and my own duty to attempt to join her.

Full of this idea I descended hastily to the ground and
made my way with all speed in the direction of Don Manuel's
house. The telescope was fortunately in the place where I
expected to find it ; and, disconnecting it from the stand and
tucking it into its leather case, I set out again for the look-
out tree. Arrived there, I slung the instrument over my
shoulder by means of the stout leather strap attached to the

tantalizing! 201

case, and at once ascended to the topmost branches of the
tree, where, selecting a good substantial limb for a seat, with
another conveniently situated to serve as a rest for the tele-
scope, I comfortably settled myself in position, determined
to ascertain definitely, if possible, before sunset, what the
intentions of the strange sail might be.

I lost no time in extricating the instrument from its case
and bringing it to bear upon the white speck, which, even
during the short period of my absence, had perceptibly
changed its position, thus proving the craft to be a smart
vessel under her canvas. I soon had her focused, but found
to my intense disappointment that, owing to her great dis-
tance and the rarefied condition of the atmosphere due to
the intense heat of the day, I was unable to make out very
much more in the shape of detail than was possible with the
naked eye; the craft, as seen through the telescope, appear-
ing to be merely a wavering blot of creamy white, with
another wavering blot of dark colour, representing the hull,
below it; a dark line with a spiral motion to it, which made
it look like a corkscrew, representing above the sails the bare
topgallant and royal masts. This was vexatious, but the sun
was still fully an hour high. By the time that he would
reach the horizon the craft would probably be some seven
or eight miles nearer; the atmosphere was cooling and be-
coming less rarefied every minute, and I was sanguine that
before darkness set in I should succeed in getting such a
view of the stranger as would enable me to form a tolerably
accurate opinion as to her nationality and intentions.

Of course I kept my eye glued almost uninterruptedly to
the eye-piece of the instrument, merely withdrawing it for
a minute or so occasionally to give the visual organ a rest.
And gradually, as I watched, the wavering motion of the
white and dark blots decreased, they grew less blot-like and

202 AN EXCITING MOMENT.

more defined in their outlines, and finally I succeeded in
detecting the fact that the craft sported a broad white ribbon
along her sides. Then I made out that she carried a white
figure-head under the heel of her bowsprit; next, that her
boats were painted black to their water-lines and white
below, and so one detail after another emerged into clear
definition until the entire craft stood distinctly revealed in
the field of the instrument. By this time I was all aquiver
with excitement, for as the approaching ship showed with
ever-increasing distinctness, a growing conviction forced
itself upon me that many of her details were familiar to me.
Finally, just as the sun was hovering for a moment like a
great ball of fixe upon the extreme verge of the purple
horizon, the stranger tacked. The smartness with which
she was manoeuvred was alone almost suflScient to proclaim
her as English, but the point was definitely settled by my
catching a momentary glimpse of St. George's ensign flutter-
ing at her peak as it gleamed in the last rays of the setting
sun. In another moment she glided gracefully across the
golden track of the sinking luminary, her every spar and
rope clearly defined and black as ebony, her sharply outlined
sails a deep rich purple against the gold, and the broad
white ribbon round her shapely hull just distinguishable.
The sun vanished, and though the western horizon imme-
diately in his wake was all aglow with gold and crimson, the
light at once began to fade rapidly away. I looked again at
the ship : she was already a mass of pearly gray, with a row
of little dark gray dots along her side, indicating the position
of her ports. I took advantage of the last gleam of twilight
to count these dots twice over. There were fourteen of
them along her starboard broadside, indicating that she was
a 28-gun ship; she was ship-rigged, and this, in conjunction
with several little peculiarities which I had recognized con-

THE "daphne" again! httrrahII 203

nected with her spars and rigging, convinced me that she
was actually none other than the Daphne. Another look — I
could just distinguish her against the soft velvety blue-black
background of the darkening sea, but I saw enough to satisfy
me of the correctness of my surmise, and saw, too, that —
happy chance — she was clewing up her courses as though
about to lay-to or anchor off the mouth of the river for the
night. Then, as she faded more and more and finally
vanished from the field of the telescope, I closed the instru-
ment and proceeded to carefully replace it in its case. By
the time that I had done this the glow of the western horizon
had faded into sober gray, the sky overhead had deepened
into a magnificent sapphire blue and was already becoming

thickly studded with stars, the forest around and below me
had merged into a great shapeless mass of oHve-black foliage,

out of the depths of which arose the deafening whir of count-
less millions of insects; and the conclusion forced itself upon
me that it was high time I should see about effecting a
descent from my lofty perch if I wished to do so in safety.
I had no sooner scrambled down into the body of the tree
than I found myself in complete darkness, and it was with
the utmost difficulty and no little danger that I accomplished
the remainder of the descent. However, I managed at last
to reach the ground without mishap, and, taking up my gun
— which I had placed against the trunk of the tree, and
without which, acting upon Don ManueFs advice, I never
ventured into the forest — I turned my face homeward,
anxious to find Smellie and acquaint him with the state of
affairs without a moment's unnecessary delay.

In due time I reached the gate in the palisading which
surrounded Don Manuel's garden and passed through. In
the brilliant star-light the sandy path which led up to the
house was distinctly visible between the rows of coffee and

204 "WHO GOES THERKl"

other trees, and so also were two figures, a short distance
ahead of me, sauntering along it toward the house, with
their backs turned to me. They were evidently male and
female, and were walking very closely together, so much so
indeed that I felt almost certain that the arm of the taller

of the two figures must be encircling the waist of the other,
and from the height of the one and the white gleaming gar-
ments of the other I at once came to the conclusion that
they were Smellie and Dona Antonia. My footsteps were
of course quite inaudible on the light sandy soil, and the
couple in front of me were consequently in a state of blissful
ignorance as to my presence. Had they been aware of it I
am little doubtful now as to whether it would have very
greatly disturbed their equanimity. Be that as it may, I
felt a certain amount of delicacy about advancing, and so
showing them that I had been an involuntary witness of
their philandering, so I softly stepped aside off the pathway
and ensconsed myself behind a coffee -bush, thinking that
perhaps they would go on and enter the house, in which
case I could follow them in at a respectful distance. If, on
the other hand, they did not enter, they would at all events
be at such a distance from me when they turned that I might
safely show myself without much fear of disconcerting either
of them. So thinking, I continued to watch their receding
figures, intending to step back into the pathway as soon as
they were at a sufficient distance from ma

But before they had traversed half the distance between
the gate and the house I was startled at seeing a group of
figures suddenly and noiselessly emerge upon the pathway
close behind them.

CHAPTER XIII.

AN EVENTFUL NIGHT.

HAT did it mean ? Who were they, and what
could they possibly wanti I could see them
clearly enough to distinguish that they wore
the garments of civilization; but they did not
belong to the house : Don Mannel had only two men in his
service; whereas, so far as I could distinguish in the un-
certain light, there were five men in the group before me.
Then, too, their actions were suspicious, their movements
were stealthy, and it looked very much as though they were
dogging the footsteps of the couple ahead of them for no
good purpose. I did not at all like the aspect of affairs,
so quietly disencumbering myself of the telescope, which I
deposited on the ground, I grasped my gun, and, stepping
into the pathway, shouted wamingly to the second heu-
tenant :

"Look out, Mr, Smellie, you are being followed!"
Immediately there was a shout, in Spanish, of "Come on,
men, give it him ! " and the group made a dash at Smellie
and his companion. Then followed an exclamation of sur-
prise and anger in Smellie's well-known voice, a single stiiled
scream from Dona Antonia, and a most unmistakable aflray.
With a shout I dashed up the path, and in another minute
or less plunged into the thick of the melee. SmeUie was

205

206 AN ATTEMPTED ABDUCTION.

beset by tiiree of the ruffians, who were slashing Ticionsly
at him with long ugly-looking knives, and he was maintain-
ing a gallant defence with the aid of a stout stick, the
assistance of which he had not up to then been wholly able
to discard in walking. I saw that if he was to be saved
from a serious, perhaps even a fatal, stab, prompt action was
necessary, so without waiting for further developments I
cocked my gun, and, making a lunge with it at the man who
seemed to be Smellie's most formidable antagonist, pulled

the trigger just as the muzzle struck his side, and poured the
contents of the barrel into his body. At such very close
quarters the charge of shot took effect like a bullet, and the
fellow staggered backwards and fell to the ground with an

oath and an agonized exclamation in Spanish of:

"Help, my men, help; I am shot!"

The remaining two who had been attacking Smellie turned
at this to assist their wounded companion ; and the second
lieutenant and I thereupon dashed down the path after the
other two, who were hurrying off the scene with all speed,
carrying Dona Antonia bodily away with them. A dozen
bounds or so and we were up with them. With an in-
articulate cry of rage Smellie sprang upon the man nearest
him and brought his stick down upon the fellow's head with
such tremendous force that the stout cudgel shivered to
pieces in his hand, whilst the recipient of the blow dropped
prone without a groan or cry of any kind upon the pathway.
The other meanwhile had dropped his share of their joint
burden and seemed inclined to resume hostilities, but a
well-aimed sweep of the butt-end of my gun took all the
fight out of him, and he beat a ha^ty retreat, leaving his
companion to our tender mercies. Smellie, however, had
something else to think about, for there, upon the pathway,
her white dress already stained with the blood of the pros-

SEJJOR MADERA AGAIN, 207

trate mflSan beside her, lay the senseless body of Dona
Antonia. Kaising her in his arms my companion at once
made for the house, despatching Pedro, who had just put
in an alarmed appearance, in advance to summon the assis-
tance of Old Madre Dolores, Antonia's special attendant.

I convoyed the pair as far as the door, and then retraced
my steps down the pathway, intent on recovering the
telescope, and also to reconnoitre the scene of action and
ascertain whether or no the enemy had beaten a final retreat.
The ground proved to be clear; so I presume that the fellow
whose head Smellie had broken was not after all quite so
seriously injured as he at first appeared to be.

On my return to the house I found the whole place in
confusion, as might naturally be expected, and Don Manuel,
with his damaged hand in a sling, anxiously inquiring of
Smellie whether he had any idea as to the identity of the
perpetrators of the outrage.

"I certainly have an idea who was the leader," answered
Smellie; "but I scarcely like to give utterance to my sus-
picions. Here comes Hawkesley; let us see whether his
opinion upon the matter coincides with mine. Hawkesley,
do you think you ever met either of those men before f"

"Yes," I replied unhesitatingly; "unless I am greatly
mistaken, the man who was so pertinacious in his attack
upon you, and whom I shot, was Senor Madera."

" Exactly so," coincided Smellie. " I recognized him di-
rectly; but it was so very dark down there among the trees
that I scarcely cared to say as much without first having my
conviction verified. I very much fear, Don Manuel, you
have been grossly deceived by that fellow; if I am not
greatly mistaken he is a thorough rascal. I do not say this
because of his cowardly attack upon me — that I can quite
account for after your explanation of a night or two ago;

208 A HASTY FLITTING.

but his daring outrage upon your daughter is quite another
matter."

" Yes, yes," exclaimed Don Manuel excitedly; " the fellow
is a villain, there is no doubt about that. I have never
entertained a very high opinion of him, it is true ; but I must
admit that I was quite unprepared for any such high-handed
behaviour as that of to-night,"

" Well," said Smellie cheerfully, " I think Hawkesley has
given his ardour a cooling for some time to come, at all
events; and for the rest, you wiU have to be very carefully
on your guard for the future, my dear sir. I do not think
he will venture a second attempt so long as we retnain
under your roof, but after we are gone — "

"Which I hope will not be for some time to come," hos-
pitably interrupted Don Manuel " But have no fear for us,
my dear Don Harold; 'forewarned is forearmed,' as you say
in your England, and I shall take care to render any further

attack upon my daughter's liberty impossible. But come,
dinner awaits us, and we can further discuss the matter, if
need be, over the — what is that you call it? — ah, yes, *the
social board ! ' "

Thereupon we filed into the dining-room, and took our
places at the table. And there, before the conversation had
an opportunity to drift back into its former channel, I de-
tailed my day's doings, and apprised Smellie of the impor-
tant fact that the Daphne was in the offing.

"This is momentous news, indeed," remarked Smellie
when I had finished. " We must leave you to-night, I fear,
Don Manuel, reluctant as we both must be to cut short so
very agreeable an acquaintance. But I trust we shall have
many opportunities of visiting you again, and so keeping
alive the friendship established between us; and as to Senor
Madera — if Hawkesley is only correct in his conjectures as

TIMELY CAUTION. 209

to the schooner he saw — why, I trust we may be able to
effectually and permanently relieve you of his disagreeable
attentions before twenty-four hours have passed over our
heads."

Don Manuel bowed. " If Senor Madera is indeed the cap-
tain of a slave-ship, as I have sometimes felt inclined to
believe he is," said he, *'I beg that you will not permit the
accident of having encountered him under my roof to influ-
ence you in any way in his favour. As I have already said,
he is only an acquaintance — not a friend of mine — and if he
is a ta-ansgressor against the laws relating to the slave-trade,
make him suffer for it, if you can lay hands upon him. With
regard to your proposed attempt to rejoin your ship to-night,
I very much regret that I am only able to offer you the
most meagre assistance; such as it is, however, you are
heartily welcome to it. I have a canoe down in the creek
yonder, and you are very welcome to take her; but she is
only a small affair, and as I presume you are not very much
accustomed to the handling of canoes, you will have to be
exceedingly carefid or you may meet with an upset. And
that, let me tell you, may possibly prove a very serious
affair, since the creek, ay, and the river itself, swarms with
crocodiles. "

Smellie duly expressed his thankful acceptance of Don
Manuel's kind offer, and the conversation then became gen-
eral. At the conclusion of the meal Smellie requested the
favour of a few minutes' private conversation with Don
Manuel; and that gentleman, with a somewhat questioning
and surprised look, bowed an affirmative and at once led the
way to his own especial sanctum.

I never actually heard what was the nature of the momen-
tous communication which the gallant second lieutenant
wished so suddenly to make to his host; but from the

(290)

210 POOR antonia!

length of time that they remained closeted together, and the
remark of Don Manuel when they at length reappeared
"Very well, my dear sir, then that is settled; upon the con-
ditions I have named you can have her" — I made a pretty
shrewd guess at it.

In the meantime Dona Antonia had reappeared, very
little the worse for her adventure; she was very pale, it is
true, and she hecame perceptibly paler when, with that
want of tact which is one of my most marked characteristics,
I abruptly told her that we were on the point of leaving her
to rejoin our ship. But she amply redeemed this want of
colour by the deep rosy flush with which she greeted
SmeUie's approach and the low whispered request in re-
sponse to which she placed her hand on his arm and retired
with him to the verandah.

It was about 9-30 p.m. when they reappeared, Smellie
looking very grave, but at the same time rather exultant,
and poor Antonia in tears, which she made no attempt what-
ever to conceal. I was, of course, all ready to start at a
moment's notica We had no preparations to make, in fact,

and we at once proceeded to the disagreeable task of saying
farewell to our kind and generous host. It was a painful
business; for though we had not known Don Manuel and
his daughter very long, we had still known them quite long
enough to have acquired for them both a very large measure
of esteem and regard — in Smellie's case there could no longei
be the least doubt that his feelings toward his hostess were
even warmer than this — so we hurried over the leave-taking
with all speed, and then set off down the pathway, under
Pedro's guidance, on our road to the creek.

It was by this time pitch dark. The stars had all dis-
appeared ; the sky had become obscured by a heavy pall of
thunder-cloud; and away to the eastward the lightning

A CRAZY CRAFT INDEED, 211

was already beginning to flash and the thunder to growl
ominously. Before we reached the gate in the palisading
Pedro had volunteered the prognostication of a stormy night,
utterly unfit for such an expedition as that upon which we
were bound, and had strongly urged us more than once to
follow his counsel and postpone the attempt. But to this
proposition we could not, of course, listen for a moment If
we missed the present opportunity to rejoin the Daphne it
was impossible to conjecture when another might offer; and
pleasant though our sojourn under Don Manuel's hospit^le
roof had undoubtedly been, it was not business; every day
so spent was a day distinctly lost in the pursuit of oiu* pro-
fessional interests. So we plodded steadily on, and in about
half an hour's time reached the head of the creek, where,
carefully housed under a low thatch covering, we foimd the
canoe.

She was, indeed, a frail craft in which to undertake such
a journey as ours, being only some two feet six inches
beam, by about sixteen inches deep, and twenty feet long;
hollowed out of a single Jog. She had no thwarts, and the
paddlers were therefore compelled to squat tailor-fashion in
the bottom of her, looking forward- This was, so far, for-
timate; since she was so frightfully crank that, with such
unaccustomed canoeists as ourselves, it was only by keeping
our centres of gravity low down that we prevented her cap-
sizing the moment we stepped into her. Pedro, worthy soul,
detained us about twenty minutes whilst he explained the
peculiarities of the craft and the proper mode of handling
the paddles; and then, with Smellie aft and me forward, we
bade the old fellow good-bye and boldly shoved off down
the creek.

The channel here being narrow, and overarched to a
great extent with trees, the darkness was quite as intense

212 THE GATHERING OF THE STORM.

as it had been on our journey from the house through the
wood and down to the creek; so dark was it, indeed, that
but for the lightning which now flashed around us with
rapidly-increasing frequency, it would have been quite im-
possible for us to see where we were going. This stygian
darkness, whilst it proved an obstacle to our rapid progress,
promised to afford us, by way of compensation, most valu-
able assistance in another way, since we hoped to slip past
the schooner undetected in the impenetrable obscurity; our
desire just then being to avoid anything like a renewal of
our acquaintance with Senor Madera so soon after our very
recent little misunderstanding. Unfortunately there were two
or three phenomena which combined to render this feat a
matter of difficulty. The first was the vivid lightning which,
at increasingly brief intervals, lit up the channel with noon-
tide distinctness. The next was the failure of the wind; a
stark breathless calm having fallen upon the face of nature
like a pall, in the which not so much as a single leaf stirred;
and the whole insect world, contrary to its usual custom, await-
ing in hushed expectancy the outburst of the coming storm,
a great and death-like silence prevailed, through which the
slightest sound which we might accidentally make would have
been heard for a long distance. And another, and perhaps
the worst of all, was the highly phosphorescent state of the
water. This was so excessive that the slightest ripple under
the bows of the canoe, along her sides, and for some distance
in her wake, together with the faint swirls created by our
paddles, produced long trailing lines and eddies of vivid
silvery light which could scarcely fail to attract the atten-
tion of a vigilant look-out and so betray our whereabouts.
We were thus compelled to observe the utmost circumspection
in our advance, which was made, as far as was practicable,
through the deepest shadows of the overhanging foh'age.

A WEIRD SIGHT. 213

We were creeping slowly down the channel in this
cautious fashion when a slight and almost imperceptible
splash from the opposite bank attracted my attention.
Glancing across in that direction I noticed a slowly spread-
ing circle of luminous ripples, and beneath them a curious
patch of pale phosphorescent light rapidly advancing toward
us. In a few seconds it was almost directly underneath the
canoe and keeping pace with her. To my consternation I
then saw that it was a crocodile about the same length,
"over all," as the canoe, the phosphorescence of the water
causing his scaly carcass to gleam like a watery moon and
distinctly revealing his every movement. We could even
see his upturned eyes maintaining a vigilant watch upon us.

"Do you see that, sirl" I whispered.

" I do, indeed," murmured Smellie ; " and I only hope the
brute is completely ignorant of his ability to capsize us with

a single whisk of his tail, if he should choose to do so. Phew !
what a flash ! "

What a flash, indeed 1 It seemed as though the entire
vault of heaven had exploded into living flame; the whole
atmosphere was for a moment irradiated; our surroundings
leapt out of the darkness and stood for a single instant
vividly revealed; and there, too, away ahead of us, at a dis-
tance of perhaps half a mile, appeared the schooner, her
hull, spars, and rigging showing black as ebony against the
brilliantly - illuminated background of foliage and cloud.
Simultaneously with the lightning-flash there came a terrific
peal of thunder, which crackled and crashed and roared and
rumbled about us with such an awful percussion of sound
that I was absolutely deafened for a minute or two. When
I recovered my hearing the wild creatures of the forest were
still giving vent to their terror in a chorus of roars and howls
and screams of dismay. The crocodile, evidently not caring

214 "WAS THAT THE SCHOONER?"

to be out in such weather, had happily vanishecL We had
scarcely gathered our wits once more about us when the
flood-gates of heaven were opened and down came the rain.
I had heard a great deal, at one time and another, about the
violence of tropical rainstorms, but this exceeded far beyond
all bounds the utmost that I had thereby been led to antici-
pate- It came, not in drops or sheets, or even the meta-
phorical "buckets-full," but in an absolute deluge of such
volume that not only were we drenched to the skin in a
single instant, but almost before I was aware of it the water
had risen in the bottom of the oanoe to a depth of at least
four inches. I was actually compelled to lean forward in a
stooping posture to catch my breath.

For fuUy five minutes this overwhelming deluge con-
tinued to descend upon us, and then it relaxed somewhat
and settled down into a steady downpour.

" Was that object which we caught sight of some distance
ahead, just now, the schooner 'J " asked Smellie as soon as
the rushing sound of the rain had so far abated as to permit
of our hearing each other's voices.

"It was, sir," I replied.

" Then now is the time for us to make a dash past her;
they will scarcely be keeping a very bright look-out in such
rain as this," he remarked.

We accordingly hauled out into the centre of the stream
and plied our paddles as rapidly as possible. We had been
working hard for perhaps ^yq minutes when Smellie said in
a low cautious tone of voice :

"Hawkesley!"

"Sir?"

"Do you know, the fancy has seized upon me to have
a look in on the deck of that schooner. If we are duly
cautious I really believe it might be managed without very

CONSPIRATORS 1 215

much risk. Somehow I do not think they •will be keeping
a particularly bright look-out on board her just now. The
look-out may even be stowed away comfortably in the
galley out of the rain. Have you nerve enough for the

adventure 1 "

" Certainly I have, sir," I replied, a bold idea flashing at
that instant through my brain.

" Then keep a sharp look-out for her, and, when you see
her, work your paddle so as to drop the canoe alongside
under her main-chains, and stand by to catch a turn with
your painter."

*' Ay, ay, sir," I replied; and we once more relapsed into
silence and renewed paddling.

Five minutes later a shapeless object loomed up close
aboard of us on our port bow, and, sheering the canoe
sharply to larboard, we dropped her handsomely and with-
out a sound alongside the schooner just in the wake of
her main-chains. I rapidly took a turn with the painter
round the foremost channel - iron, and in another moment
stood alongside my superior officer in the schooner's main-
chains.

Placing our heads close to the dead-eyes of the rigging,
so as to expose ourselves as little as possible, we waited
patiently for another flash of lightning — Smellie looking aft
and I looking forward, by hastily-whispered agreement.

Presently the flash came.

*' Did you catch sight of the look-out?" whispered Smelli©
to me.

"No, sir," I whispered back; "did youl"

"No; but I noticed that the skylight and companion are
both closed and the slide drawn over — probably to exclude
the rain. I fancy most of the people must have turned

in."

216 ON BOARD THE SCHOONER

"Very probably," I acquiesced; "there is not much to
tempt them to remain out of their bunks on such a night
as this."

"True," remarked Smellie, still in the most cautious of
whispers. " I feel more than half-inclined to climb inboard
and make a tour of the decks."

"All right, sir!" I agreed. " Let us slip off our shoes and
get on board at once. You take the starboard side of the
deck; I'll take the port side. We can meet again on the
forecastle."

"Agreed," was the reply; and slipping off our shoes forth-
with we waited for another flash of lightning, and then, in
the succeeding darkness, scrambled noiselessly in on deck
and proceeded on our tour of investigation.

On reaching the schooner's deck we separated, and I
made it my first business to carefully examine the skylight
and companion. In the profound darkness it was quite
impossible to see anything; but by careful manipulation I
soon ascertained that the former was shut down, and that
the doors of the latter were closed and the slide drawn over
within about six inches, as Smellie had said. It must have
been frightfully hot down in the cabin, but the officers
apparently preferred that to having a deluge of rain beating
down below. The cabin was dimly lighted by a swinging
lamp turned down very low; but I could see no one, nor
was there any sound of movement down there — at which I
was considerably surprised, because if the schooner really
belonged to Senor Madera, as I had supposed, one would
have expected to find one or two persons at least on the
alert in attendance upon the wounded man.

Having learned all that it was possible to learn in this
quarter, I next proceeded aft as far as the taffrail, where I
found the deck encumbered on both sides by two big coils

AN UNSUSPECTING CREW. 217

of mooring hawser, the other ends of which were secured,
as I had noticed earlier in the day, to a couple of tree-trunks
on shore.

I next proceeded leisurely forward, noting on my way the
fact that the schooner mounted a battery of four brass nine-
pounders on her starboard side — and of course her port bat-
tery would be the same. The main hatchway was securely
covered in with a grating, up through which arose the un-
mistakable odour which betrays the presence of slaves in a
ship's hold. All was quiet, however, below — the poor
wretches down there having probably obtained in sleep a
temporary forgetfulness of their miserable condition. On
reaching the galley I found that the door on the port side
was closed; but on applying my ear to the chink I fancied
I could detect, through the steady stuish of the rain, the
sounds of regular breathing, as of a slumbering man. For-
ward of the galley was the foremast, and on clearing this
a faint gleam of light indicated the position of the fore-
scuttle; and whilst I was still glancing round in an en-
deavour to discover the presence of a possible anchor-watch
the light was suddenly obscured by the interposition of the
second lieutenant's body, as he cautiously peered down into
the forecastle. I advanced to his side and laid my hand
upon his arm, at the same time mentioning his name to
apprise him of my presence.

"Well," he whispered, first drawing me away from the
open scuttle, "what have you disco vered ■? "

I told him, adding that I thought the anchor-watch must
have taken refuge in the galley from the rain, and there
have fallen asleep.

"Yes," whispered Smellie; "he is safe enough there, and
sound asleep, for I accidentally touched him without dis-
turbing his slumber."

218 A BOLD SCHBME.

I thought the time had now arrived for the propounding
of my brilliant idea.

"What is to prevent our seizing the schooner^ sir?" I asked.
" Nothing whatever," was the reply. " I have been think-
ing of such a thing myself. She is already virtually in our
possession, and a very little labour and patience would make
her actually so. I think we are men enough to get her
under canvas and to handle her afterwards, for she is only
a very small craft. The great — and indeed only — danger
connected with the a£fair consists in the possibility of their
firing a pistol into the powder-magazine when they discover
that they are prisoners, and so sending the ship and all
hands sky-high together."

"They might possibly do such a thing," I assented) "but
I am willing to take the risk, sir, if you are."

"Well done, Hawkesley! you are made of the right stuff
for a sailor," was Smellie's encouraging remark. "Then
we'll do it," he continued. " The first thing is to close and
fasten the fore-scuttle, which, I have already ascertained, is
secured with a hasp and staple. A belaying-pin will secure
it effectually; so that is the first thing we need."

A loose belaying-pin was soon found ; and, provided with
this, we then returned to the fore-scuttle, noiselessly placed
the cover in position, and thrust the pin through the staple?
thus effectually imprisoning the crew.

"Now another belaying-pin and a rope's end — a fathom
or so off the end of the topgallant halliards will do — to
secure this vigilant look-out in the galley."

Armed with the necessary gear we next crept toward the
galley. The question was, how to secure the man effectually
in the intense darkness and confined space, and at the same
time prevent his raising an alarm. The only thing was to
lure him out on deck; and accordingly, whilst Smellie

WK SEIZE THE SCHOONER. 219

awaited him at the door, I went in, and grasping him by
the shoulder shook him roughly, retiring again promptly as
soon as I found that I had aroused him. The fellow rose to
his feet hurriedly, evidently under the impression that one
of the officers had caught him napping, and, scarcely half-
awake, stumbled out on deck muttering in Spanish a few
incoherent words which he no doubt intended for an expla-
nation of his presence in the galley. As he emerged from
the door I promptly — and I fear rather roughly — forced
the belaying-pin between his teeth and secured it there
with the aid of my pocket handkerchief, Smellie at the same
moment pinioning him from the other side so effectually
that he was rendered quite incapable of resistance. A yery
short time sufficed us to secure him beyond the possibility
of escape; and then the next thing demanding our attention
was the skylight and companion. I had already thought of

a means by which these might be made perfectly secure, and
I now offered the idea to Smellie for whatever it might be
wortL My suggestion met with his most unqualified ap-
proval, and we forthwith set about carrying it out. There
was an abundance of firewood in the galley; and, selecting
suitable pieces, we lost no time in hacking out half-a-dozen
wedges. Armed with these we went aft, and noiselessly
closing the companion slide to its full extent firmly wedged
it there. A short piece of planking wedged tightly in be-
tween the binnacle and the companion doors made the latter
perfectly secure ; and when we had further heaped upon the
daylight lid as many heavy articles as we could find about
the decks and conveniently handle between us, the crew
were effectually imprisoned below, fore and aft, and the
work of seizing the schooner was complete.

We were not a moment too soon. The thunderstorm had
all this while been raging with little if any diminution of

220 SHARP WORK.

fury, the rain continuing to pour down upon us in a steady

torrent. But hitherto there had been no wind. We had

barely completed our task of making matters secure fore and

aft, however, when the lightning and rain ceased all in an
instant.

"Now look out for the wind, sir," said I to Smellie.

"When the rain comes hefort the wind,
Stand by and well your topsails mind."

"Let the breeze come as soon as it likes," was the cheerful
reply; " we shall want a breeze to help us out of the creek
presently. But we may as well get the canvas on her whilst
the calm lasts, if possible; so run your knife along the lashing
of that mainsail, whilst I overhaul the sheet and cast adrift
the halliards."

So said, so done, and in another minute the sail was loose.
We then tailed on to the halliards, and after a long and
weary drag managed to get the sail set after a fashion.
But we had hardly begun this task before the squall burst
upon us, and well was it for us then that the schooner
happened to be moored in so completely sheltered a position.
The wind careered, roaring and howling past us overhead,
swaying and bending the stoutest forest giants as though
they were pliant reeds; but down in the narrow channel,
under the le© of the trees, we felt no more than a mere
smfflej which, however, was sufficient to make the mainsail
flap heavily, and this eflfectually roused all hands below.

The first intimation we received of this state of things
was a loud battering against the inside of the companion
doors, accompanied by muffted ejaculations of anger. To
this, however, we paid not the slightest heed; we knew that
our prisoners were safe for a time at least, so as soon as we
had set the mainsail to our satisfaction I skimmed out on

WE CARRY OFF THE SCHOONER, 221

the jib-boom and cast loose the jib, then slipped inboard
again and helped Smellie to hoist it. This done, by Smellie's
order I went aft to the wheel, whilst he, armed with the
cook's axe, cut the hawsers fore and aft by which the
schooner was secured to the bank

The wind was very baffling just where we were; moreover
we happened, unfortunately, to be on the lee side of the
canal, and for a couple of minutes after cutting adrift we
were in imminent danger of taking the ground after all our
trouble. Between us, however, we succeeded in so far
flattening in the main-sheet as to cant her bows to wind-
ward, and though the schooner's keel actually stirred up the
mud for a distance of quite fifty yards, we at last had the
gratification of seeing her draw off the bank. The moment
that she was fairly under weigh I drew Smellie*s attention
to the violent pounding at the companion doors, and sug-
gested as a precautionary measure that we should run one
of the guns up against the doors in case of any attempt to
batter them down, which we accordingly did; the wheel
being lashed for the short period necessary to enable us to
accomplish this task.

Very fortunately for us the wind had by this time broken
up the dense black canopy of cloud overhead, permitting a
star or two to peep through the rents here and there; the
moon, too, just past her second quarter, had risen, so that
we now had a fair amount of light to aid us. The naviga-
tion of the narrow creek was, however, so diflicult that a
look-out was absolutely necessary, and Smellie accordingly
went forward and stationed himself on the stem-head to con
the ship.

CHAPTER XIV.

WE REJOIN THE "DAPHNB."

HE people in the cabin, finding that no good
result followed their violent pounding upon
the inside of the companion doors, soon aban-
doned so unprofitable an amusement, and I
was just beginning to hope that they had philosophically
made up their minds to submit with a good grace to the
inevitable, when crash came a bullet through the teak doors
and past my head in most uncomfortable proximity to my
starboard ear.

Smeliie looked round at the soimA
"Any damage done, Hawkesleyl" he hailed.
"None so far, I thank you," replied I; and as I spoke there
was another report, and another bullet went whizzing past,
well to port this time for a change. A minute or two passed,
and then came a regular fusilade from quite half a dozen
pistols discharged simultaneously I should say, one of the
bullets knocking off the worsted cap I wore and grazing
the skin of my right temple sufficiently to send a thin
stream of blood trickling down into the comer of my right

eye.

" You seem to be in a warm comer there," hailed Smeliie;
"but if you can hold on until we round this point I'll come
and relieve you."

222

WARM WORK. 223

" No, thanks, I would very much rather you would con-
tinue to con the ship," I replied.

A minute or two later we rounded the point referred to,
and, the creek widening out considerably, we began to feel
the true breeze, when the schooner, even under the short
and ill-set canvas we had been able to give her, at once in-
creased her speed to about six knots. At the same time,
however, she began to "gripe" most villainously, and with
the helm hard a-weather it was as much as I could possibly
do to keep her from running ashore among the bushes on
our starboard hand. The people in the cabin were still
pertinaciously blazing away through the companion doors at
me, and doing some remarkably good shooting, too, taking
into consideration the fact that they could only guess at my
whereabouts; but I was just then far too busy to pay much
attention to them. At length, fearing that, when we got
a little lower down and felt the full strength of the breeze,
the schooner would, in spite of all my efiforts, fairly run
away with me, I hailed Smellie, and, briefly explaining the
situation to him, asked him to either give her the fore stay-
sail or else come aft and trice up the tack of the mainsail. He
chose the latter alternative, as leaving the craft under canvas
easily manageable by one hand, and came aft to effect the al-
teration, hurriedly explaining that he would relieve me as soon
as possible ; but that there was still some difficult navigation
ahead which he wanted to see the schooner safely through.

He triced the tack of the sail close up to the throat of
the gaff, and was about to hurry forward again, when the
schooner sheering round a bend into a new reach, my atten-
tion was suddenly attracted by something ahead and on our
lee bow at a distance of perhaps half a mile.

"What is that away there on our lee bow, sir?" I ex-
claimed; "is it not a craft of some sorti'

224 A STRANGE BRIG IN THE CREEK.

Smellie jumped up on the rail to get a better view, and
at the same moment a pistol shot rang out from the sky-
light, the bullet evidently flying close past him. He took
not the slightest notice of the shot, but stood there on the
rail with his hand shading his eyes, intently examining the
object we were rapidly nearing.

''It is a brig," said he, "and unless I am very greatly
mistaken — but no, it can't be — and yet it must be too— it
surely is the Festale,"

"It looks remarkably like her; but I can^t make out

confound those fellows ! I wish they would stop firing. — I
can't make out the white ribbon round her sides," said I.

** No, nor can L And yet it is scarcely possible we can
be mistaken. Luff you may — a little — do not shave her too
close. She has no pennant flying, by the way, whoever she
may be. Ah I the rascals have pinked me after all," as a

rattling volley was discharged at him through the glazed top
of the skylight, and I saw him clap his hand to his side.

We were by this time close to the strange brig, on board
which lights were burning in the cabin, whilst several per-
sons were visible on deck. As we swept down toward her,
hugging her pretty closely, a man sprang into the main
rigging and hailed in Spanish :

" Josef a ahoy ! What's the matter on board 1 Why are
you going to sea without a full cargo ? Have matters gone
wrong at the head of the creek 1"

"No, no," replied Smellie in the same language, which
by the way he had been diligently studying with Antonia's
assistance during our sojourn under Don Manuel's roof-
"no, everything is all right; our cargo"

Unfortunately he was here interrupted by another volley
from the cabin, and at the same time a voice yelled from the
schooner's stern windows:

THE "BLACK VBNTJS." 225

"We are captured; a prize to the accursed Ingleses."

The words were hardly out of the speaker's mouth when
three or four muskets were popped at us from the brig,
fortunately without effect We were, however, by that
time past her, and her crew, who seemed thoroughly mis-
tified at the whole affair, made no further effort to molest
us. Of one thing, however, we were amply assured, she was
not the Vestale. The craft we had just passed — whilst the
double of the French gun-brig in every other respect — was
painted black down to her copper, and she carried under the
heel of her bowsprit a life-size figure of a negress with a
scarf striped in various colours round her waist. A negress?
Ah ! there could not be a doubt of it

"Mr. Smellie," said I, "do you know that craft?"

" N — n — no, I can't say I do, Hawkesley, under her pres-
ent disguise."

" Disguise I my dear sir; she is not disguised at all. That
is the pirate brig which destroyed poor Richards' vessel —
the Juliet And — yes — there can scarcely be a doubt about
it — she must be the notorious Black Venus of which the
Yankee skipper told us."

Smellie looked at me in great surprise and perplexity for
a moment.

"Upon my word, Hawkesley, I verily believe you are
right!" he exclaimed at last "The Black Venus — a negress
for a figure-head— ha ! are you hurt?"

" Not much, I think," stammered I, as I braced myself
resolutely against the wheel, determined that I would nxtt
give in. The fact was, that whilst we were talking another
shot had been fired through the companion doors, and
had struck me fairly in the right shoulder, inflicting such
severe pain that for the moment I felt quite incapable
of using my right arm. Fortunately the schooner now

(290) P

226 IN A HOT CORNER.

steered pretty easily, and I could manage the wheel with
one hand.

" We must stop this somehow," said Smellie, again jump-
ing on the rail and taking a long look ahead.

"Do you see that very tall tree shooting up above the
rest, almost directly ahead?" he continued, pointing out the
object as he tamed to ma

I replied that I did.

" Well, steer straight for it then, and I will fetch aft some
hatch covers — there are several forward — and place them
against the doors ; I think I can perhaps contrive to rig up
a bullet-proof screen for you."

" But you are hurt yourself, sir," I protested.

"A mere graze after all, I believe," he replied lightly, and
forthwith set about the work of dragging aft the hatch-
covers, six of which he soon piled in front of the com-
panion.

" There," he said, as he placed the last one in position,

"I think you are reasonably safe now; it was a pity we did
not think of that before. Shall I bind up your shoulder for
youl You are bleeding, I see."

"No, thank you," I replied; "it is only a trifling scratch,
I think, not worth troubling about now. I would much
rather you would go forward and look out; it would never
do to plump the schooner ashore now that we have come so
far. Besides, there are the men down forward; they ought
to be watched, or perhaps they may succeed in breaking out
after all."

Smellie looked at me rather doubtfully for almost a full

minuta

" I believe you are sufifering a great deal of pain, Hawkes-
ley," he said; " but you are a thoroughly plucky fellow; and
if you can only keep up until we get clear of this confounded

DIFFICULT NAVIGATION. 227

creek I will then relieve you. And I will take care, too, to
let Captain Vernon know how admirably you have conducted
yourself, not only to-night, but from the moment that we
left the Daphne together. Now I am going forward to see
that all is right there. If you want help give me a timely
haiL"

And he turned and walked forward.

The navigation of the creek still continued to be exceed-
ingly intricate and difficult; the creek itself being winding,
and the deep-water channel very much more winding still,
running now on one side of the creek, now on the otiier,
besides being studded here and there with shoals, sand-banks,
and tiny islets. This, whilst it made the navigation very
difficult for strangers, added greatly to the value of the
creek as a safe and snug resort for slavers ; the multitudinous
twists in the channel serving to mask it most artfully, and
giving it an appearance of terminating at a point beyond
which in reality a long stretch of deep water extended.

At length we luffed sharply round a low sandy spit thickly
covered with mangroves, kept broad away again directly
afterwards, and abruptly found ourselves in the main stream
of the Congo. Here the true channel was easily discernible
by the long regular run of the sea which had been lashed up
by the gale; and I had therefore nothing to do but keep the
schooner where the sea ran most regularly, and I should be
certain to be right

Smellie now gave a little much-needed attention to the
party in the forecastle, who had latterly been very noisy and
clamorous in their demonstrations of disapproval Luckily
they did not appear to possess any fire-arms : the only fear
from them, therefore, was that they would find means to
break out; and this the second lieutenant provided against
pretty effectually by placing a large wash-deck tub on the

228 PERSEVERING ENEMIES.

cover and coiling down therein the end of one of the moor-
ing hawsers which stood on the deck near the windlass.

Having done this, he came aft to relieve me at the wheel,
a relief for which I was by no means sorry.

The party in the cabin had, shortly before this, given up

their amusement of popping at me through the closed doors
of the companion, having doubtless heard Smellie dragging
along the hatch-covers and placing them in position, and
having also formed a very shrewd guess that further mis-
chief on their part was thus effectually frustrated. Unfor-
tunately, however, they had made the discovery that my
head could be seen over the companion from the fore end of
the skylight, and they had thereupon begun to pop at me from
this new position. They had grazed me twice when Smellie
came aft, and he had scarcely opened his lips to speak to me
when another shot came whizzing past us close enough to
him to prove that the fellows still had it in their power to
undo all our work by a single lucky hit.

"Why, Hawkesley," he exclaimed, "this will never do;
we mttst put a stop to this somehow. We cannot afford to
be hard hit, either of us, for another hour and a half at least.
What is to be done 1 How does your shoulder feel ? Can you
use your right arm ? "

"I am afraid I cannot," I replied; "my shoulder is dread-
fully painful, and my arm seems to have no strength in it.
But I can steer easily with one hand now?"

" How many people do you think there are in the cabin?"
was SmelUe's next question.

"I can scarcely say," I replied; "but I have only been
able to distinguish three voices so far,"

"Three, ehl The skipper and two mates, I suppose." He
ruminated a little, stepped forward, and presently returned
with a rather formidable-looking iron bar he had evidently

A SMART ENCOUNTER. 229

noticed some time before; and coolly remarked as he began
to drag away the hatch-covers from before the companion :

"I am going down below to give those fellows their
quietm. If I do not, there is no knowing what mischief
they may yet perpetrate before we get the — what was it
those fellows called her ?— ah 1 the Josef a — before we get the
Josefa under the Daphm's guns. Now, choose a star to steer
by before I remove any more of this lumber, and then sit
down on deck as much on one side as you can get; I shall
try to draw their fire and then rush down upon them."

With that he removed his jacket and threw it loosely over
the iron bar, which he laid aside for the moment whilst
he cleared away the obstructions from before the doors.
Then, taking up the coat and holding it well in front of the
opening so as to produce in the uncertain light the appear-
ance of a figure standing there, he suddenly flung back the
slide and threw open the doors.

The immediate results were a couple of pistol shots and a
rush up the companion-ladder, the latter of which Smellie
promptly stopped by swinging his somewhat bulky carcass
into the opening and letting himself drop plump down upon
the individuals who were making it. There was a scuffle at
the bottom of the ladder, another pistol shot, two or three
dull crushing blows, another brief scuffle, and then Smellie
reappeared, with blood flowing freely from his left arm, and
a truculent-looking Spaniard in tow. This fellow he dragged
on deck, and unceremoniously kicking his feet from under
him, lashed him securely with the end of the topgallant
brace. This done, he once more dived below, and in due
time two more Spaniards, senseless and bleeding, were
brought up out of the cabin and secured.

" There," he said, wiping the perspiration from his fore-
head, " I think we shall now manage to make the rest of our

230 OTTR TRIP DOWN THE RIVER.

trip unmolested, and without having constantly before our
eyes the fear of being blown clear across the Congo. Let
me take the wheel; I am sure you must be sadly in need
of a speiL But before you do anything else I will get you
to clap a bandage of some sort round my arm here; I am
bleeding so profusely that I think the bullet must have
severed an artery. Here is my handkerchief, clap it round
the arm and haul it as taut as you can; the great thing just
now is to stop the bleeding; Doctor Burnett will do all that
is necessary for us when we reach the sloop."

I bound up his arm after a fashion, making a good enough
job of it to stop the bleeding, and then went forward to keep
a look-out

We were foaming down the river at a tremendous pace,
the gale being almost dead fair for us, and having the
additional impetus of a red-hot tide under foot we swept
down past the land as though we had been a steamer.
Sooth to say, however, I scarcely felt in cue just then either
to admire the Josefa!s paces or to take much note of the
wonderful picture presented by the river, with its brown mud-
tinted waters lashed into fury by the breath of the tropical
tempest and chequered here and there with the shadows
of the scurrying clouds, or lighted up by the phosphores-
cence which tipped each wave with a crest of scintillating
silvery stars. The wound in my shoulder was every moment
becoming more excruciatingly painful and more exacting in
its demands upon my attention ; my interest seemed to centre
itself upon the Daphne and her surgeon; and it was with a
feeling of ineffable relief that, on jibing round Shark Point,
about an hour and a half after clearing the creek, I saw at
a distance of about seven miles away an indistinct object
off Padron Point which I knew must be the Daphne at
anchor.

UNDER THB QUNS OF THE "DAPHNE, 231

"Do you see the sloop, sir?" I hailed.

" No," returned Smellie from his post at the wheel, stoop-
ing and peering straight into the darkness. " I cannot make
her out from here. " Do you see her ?"

"Yes, sir," I replied joyously; "there she is, broad on our
port bow. Luff, sir, you may."

"Luff," I heard Smellie return; and the schooner's bows
swept round until they pointed fair for the distant object

"Steady, sir 1"

" Steady it is," replied Smellie, his voice sounding weird
and mournful above the roar of the wind and the wash of
the sea. I managed to trim over the jib-sheet without assis-
tance, and then leaned over the bulwarks watching the
gradual way in which the small dark blot on the horizon
swelled and developed into a stately ship with lofty masts,
long yards, and a delicate maze of rigging all as neat and
trig as though she had but just emerged from the dockyard.

The sea being quite smooth after we had once rounded
Shark Point, we made the run down to the sloop in about
an hour, passing to windward of her, and then jibing over
and rounding-to on her lee quarter, with our jib-sheet to
windward.

As we approached the sloop I noticed that lights were still
burning in the skipper's cabin, and I thought I could detect
a human face or two peering curiously out at us from the
ports. The dear old hooker was of course riding head to
wind, and as we swept down across her bows within easy
hailing distance a figure suddenly appeared standing on the
knight-heads, and Armitage's voice rang out across the water
with the hail of :

" Schooner ahoy !"

" Hillo I " responded Smellie.

A slight and barely perceptible pause; and then

232 ARMITAGE IS PUZZLER

" What schooner is that 1 "

"The Jose/a, slave schooner. Is that Mr. AmiitageT"

"Ay, ay, it is. Who may you be, pray?"

I had by this time gone aft and was standing by Smellie's
side. The schooner was just jibing over and darting along
on the Daphne's starboard side.

"Armitage evidently has not recognized my voice as yet,"
remarked Smellie, " or else," he added, " they have given us
up on board as dead, and he is unable so suddenly to realize
the fact of our being still alive."

■ Then, as we finally rounded-to under the Daphnes quar-
ter, Armitage reappeared aft, and the confab was renewed,
Smellie this time taking the lead.

^^ Daphne ahoy!" he hailed, "has Captain Vernon yet
retired for the night ? "

" I think not," was the reply. " What do you wantf

" Kindly pass the word to him that Mr. Smellie and Mr.
Hawkesley are alongside in a captured slaver : and say we
shall feel greatly obliged if he will send a prize crew on
board us to take possession."
Ay, ay! I will."

Armitage thereupon disappeared, and, we being at the
time to leeward of the sloop, a slight but distinct commotion
became perceptible on board hen Presently a figure ap-
peared in the fore-rigging, and a deep, gruff, hoarse voice
hailed :

" Schooner ahoy ! Did you say as Mr. Smellie and Mr.
Hawkesley was on board youl"

"Yes I did. Do you not recognize my voice, Collins 1"

" Ay, ay, sir 1 in course I does wm?," was the boatswain's
hearty response. Then there followed, in lower tones, cer-
tain remarks of which we could only catch such fragments
as:

<c

OUR WELCOME BACK. 233

" — ^lieutenant hisself, by — reefer, too ; — man—
you sea-dogs — give — sailors* welcome."

Then in an instant the lower rigging became black with
the figures of the men, and, with Collins as fugleman, they
greeted our unexpected return with three as hearty cheers
as ever pealed from the throats of British seamen.

For the life of me I could not just then have spoken a
word had it been ever so necessary. That hearty ringing
British cheer gave me the first convincing assurance that I
was once more mft and among friends, and, at the same
time, enabled me to fully realize, as I never had before, the
extreme peril to which I had been exposed since I last saw
the craft that lay there rolling gracefully upon the ground-
swell, within a biscuit toss of us.

The men were just clearing the rigging when a small
slight figure appeared on the sloop's quarter, and Captain
Vernon's voice hailed us through the speaking-trumpet:

"Schooner ahoy! How many hands shall I send you?"

"A dozen men will be sufficient, sir," replied Smellie.
"And I shall feel obliged if you will send with them the
necessary officers to relieve us. We are both hurt, and in
need of the doctor's services."

" You shall have the men at once," was the reply. ** Shall
I send Burnett to you, or can you come on board the sloop?"

" We will rejoin the sloop, sir, thank you. Our injuries
are not very serious," replied Smellie.

" Very well, be it so," returned the skipper; and there
the conversation ended.

The next moment the clear iee'tee-tweetle-tweeUe-weeUe-we-
e-e-e of the boatswain's whistle came floating down to us,
followed by his grufl" "Cutters away!" and presently we
saw the boat glide down the ship's side, and, after a very
brief delay, shove off and come sweeping down toward us.

234 EXPLANATIONS.

Five minutes later the prize crew, under Williams, the
master's mate, with young Peters, a fellow mid of mine, as
his second in command, stood upon the schooner's deck,
and Mr, Austin, who had accompanied them, was wringing
our hands as though he would wring them off.

Smellie saw the exquisite agony which our warm-hearted
"first luff" was unconsciously inflicting upon me by his
effusive greeting, and thoughtfully interposed with

"Gently, Edgar, old fellow. I am afraid you are handling
poor Hawkesley a little roughly. He has received rather a
bad hurt in the right shoulder to-night in our fight with the
schooner's people."

" Fight ! — schooner's people I I beg your pardon, Hawkes-
ley; I hope I haven't hurt you. Why, you never mean to
say you have had to Jight for the schooner!" Austin inter-
rupted, aghast

"Well, we took her by surprise; but her people proved
very troublesome, and very pertinacious in their efforts to
get her back again," Smellie replied. "But, come, let us
get on board the old Daphne once more. I long to set foot
on her planks again; and, like Hawkesley here, I shall not
be sorry to renew my acquaintance with Burnett."

So said, so done. We made our way into the boat, leav-
ing the prize crew to secure the prisoners, and a few minutes
later stood once more safe, if not altogether sound, on the
deck of the dear old Daphne,

CHAPTER XV.

A STERN CHASE — AND A FRUITLESS ONE.

ELCOME back to the Daphne, gentlemen!"
exclaimed Captain Vernon as he met us at
the gangway and extended his hand, first to
Smellie and then to me. " This is indeed
a pleasant surprise^for all bands, I will venture to say,
though Armitage loses his step, at least pro tern., in conse
quence of your reappearance, Mr. Smellie. But he is a
good-hearted fellow, and when be entered my cabin to re-
port you alongside, though he seemed a trifle incredulous as
to your personality, he was as delighted as a schoolboy at

the prospect of a holiday."

Smellie took the skipper's extended hand, and after reply-
ing suitably to his greeting, said :

" I must beg you will excuse Hawkesley, sir, if he gives
you his left instead of his right hand. His starboard shoul-
der has been disabled to-night by a pistol bullet whilst
supporting me most intrepidly in the task of bringing out
the schooner."

The skipper seized my left hand with his right, and
pressing it earnestly yet gently, said :

" I am proud and pleased to hear so gratifying an account
of you, Hawkesley, Mr. Armitage has already borne wit-
ness to your gallantry during the night attack upon the

285

236 A CORDIAL RECEPTION.

slavers; and it was with deep and sincere sorrow that I
received the news of your being, with Mr. Smellie, missing.
I fear, gentlemen, your friends at home will suffer a great
deal of, happily unnecessary, sorrow at the news which I
felt it my duty to send home; but that can all be repaired

by your personally despatching to them the agreeable in-
telligence of your both being still in the land of the living.
But what of your hurts] Are they too serious to be at-
tended to in my cabin ? They are not ? I am glad to hear
that Then follow me, both of you, please; for I long to
hear where you have been, what doing all this time, and
how you happened to turn up so opportunely here to-night.
I will send for Burnett to bring his tools into my cabin;
and you can satisfy my curiosity whilst he is doing the
needful for you. Will you join us, Austin? Ill be bound
your ears are tingling to hear what has befallen these wan-
dering knights."

Thereupon we filed down below in the skipper's wake
I for one being most heartily thankful to find myself where
I could once more sit down and rest my aching limbs. The
skipper's steward brought out some wine and glasses, and
then at Burnett's request — that individual having promptly
turned up — went away to get ready some warm water.

"I think," said our genial medico, turning to me, ^^ym
look in most urgent need of my services, so I will begin
with you, young gentleman, if you please. Now whereabouts
are your hurts?"

I told him, and he straightway began to cut away the
sleeve of my coat and shirt, preparatory to more serious
operations; whilst Smellie, drawing his chair up to the table,
helped himself to a glass of wine, and then said :

" Before I begin my story, sir, will you permit me to ask
what was the ultimate result of that most disastrous expe-

CAPTAIN VKRNON ENUGHTENS US. 237

dition against the slavers 1 I am naturally anxious to know,
of course, seeing that upon my shoulders rests the odium of
our failure."

Captain Vernon stared hard at the second lieutenant for
a minute, and then said :

" My dear Smellie, what in the world are you talking
about 1 Disaster ! Odium ! Why, man, the expedition was
a sticcess, not a failure. I admit that there was, most unfor-
tunately, a very serious loss of life among the unhappy
slaves; but we took the brigantine and afterwards raised
the schooner, with a loss to ourselves of only four killed-
now that you two have turned up. It was a most dashing
affair, and admirably conducted, when we take into consider-
ation the elaborate preparations which had been evidently
made for your reception ; and the ultimate result about which
you inquire so anxiously will, I hope, be a nice little bit of
prize-money to all hands, and richly deserved promotion to
yourself, Armitage, and young Williams."

It was now Smellie's turn to look surprised.

" You astonish me, sir," he said, " The last I remember
of the affair is that, after a most stubborn and protracted
fight, in which the schooner was sunk, we succeeded in
gaining possession of the brig, only to be blown out of her
a few minutes later, however; and my own impression
and Hawkesley's too, for that matter, as I afterwards dis-
covered on comparing notes with him — was that our losses
must have amounted to at least half of the men composing
the expedition."

" Well," said Captain Vernon, " I am happy to tell you
that you were mistaken. Our total loss over that affair
amounts to four men killed; but the severity of the fight is
amply testified to by the fact that not one man out of the
whole number escaped without a wound of some kind, more

238 BimNETT*S EXCESSIVE KINDNESS,

or less serious. They have all recovered, however, I am
happy to say, and we have not at present a sick man in the
ship. There can be no doubt that the slavers somehow
received timely notice of our presence in the river, through
the instrumentality of your fair-speaking friend, the skipper
of the Fensaeolay I strongly suspect, and that they made the
best possible use of the time at their disposal. Had I been
as wise then as I am now my arrangements would have been
very different. However, it is easy to be wise after the
event; and I am thankful that matters turned out so welL
And now, I think we are fairly entitled to hear your story. "

Thereupon Smellie launched out into a detailed recital of
all that had befallen us from the moment of the explosion
on board the brig up to our unexpected arrival that same
night alongside the Daphne. He was interrupted by count-
less exclamations of astonishment and sympathy; and when
he had finished there seemed to be no end to the questions
which one and another was anxious to put to him. In the
midst of it all, however, Burnett broke in with the annoimce-
ment that, having finished with me, he was ready to attend
to the second lieutenant.

The worthy medico's attentions to me had been, as may
be gathered from the fact that they outlasted Smellie's story,
of somewhat protracted duration, and that they were of an
exceedingly painful character I can abundantly testify, the
ball having broken my shoulder-blade and then buried itself
among the muscles of the shoulder, whence Burnett insisted
on extracting it, in spite of my protestations that I was quite
willing to postpone that operation to a more convenient
season. Aiter much groping and probing about, however,
utterly regardless of the excruciating agony he thus inflicted
upon me, the conscientious Burnett had at last succeeded in
extracting the ball, which he kindly presented to me as a

"QUITE A ROMANTIC AFFAIR!" 239

memento, »nd then the rest of the work was, comparatively
speaking, plain sailing. My wound was washed, dressed,
and made comfortable; and I was dismissed with a strict
injunction to turn-in at once.

To this the skipper moved, as an amendment, that I be
permitted to drink a single glass of wine before retiring;
and whilst I was sipping this they turned upon me with
their questions, with the result that I soon forgot ail about
my hammock. At length Captain Yernon said :

"By-the-by, Hawkesley, what sort of a young lady is
this Dona Antonia whom Mr. Smellie has mentioned once
or twice?"

" She is simply the most lovely creature I have ever seen,
sir," I replied enthusiastically.

" And my promised wife," jerked in Smellie, in a tone

which warned all hands that there must be no jocularity in
connection with the mention of the dona's name.

" Ho, ho ! " ejaculated the skipper with a whistle of sur-
prise. "That is how the wind blows, is it? Upon my
word, Smellie, I heartily congratulate you upon your conquest.
Quite a romantic affair, really. And pray, Mr. Hawkesley,
what success have you met with in Cupid's warfare?"

"None whatever, sir," I replied with a laugh. "The
only other lady in Don Manuel's household was old Dolores,
Dona Antonia's attendant, and I was positively afraid to try
the effect of my fascinations upon her."

"Lest you should prove only too successful," laughed the

skipper. "By the way, Smellie, do you think this Don
Manuel was quite plain and above-board with you? I sup-
pose he does nothing in the slave-trading business, eh 1 "

" I think not, sir; though he undoubtedly possesses the
acquaintance of a certain Seiior Madera, a most suspicious-
looking character, whose name I have already mentioned to

240 THB "BLACK V32NUS" TAKES FLIGHT.

you — by the way, Hawkesley, you were evidently mistaken
as to the Josef a belonging to Madera ; he was nowhere to be
found on board her."

"What is it, Mr. Annitage?" said the skipper just then,
as the third lieutenant made his appearance at the door.

"A vessel, apparently a brig, sir, has just come into yi&w
under the northern shore, evidently having just left the
river. She is hugging the land very closely, keeping well
under its shadow, in fact, and has all the appearance of
being anxious to avoid attracting our attention."

The skipper glanced interrogatively at Smellie, who at
once responded to the look by saying :

"The Black VenuSy without doubt, I expect that our
running away with the Josef a has given them the alarm, and
they have determimed to slip out whilst the option remains
to them, and take their chance of being able to give us the

sUp."

"They shall not do that if I can help it," remarked the
skipper energetically; and, rising to his feet, he gave orders
for all hands to be called forthwith. This broke up the
party in the cabin, much to the gratification of Burnett, who
now insisted that both Smellie and I should retire to our
hammocks forthwith, and on no account presume to leave
them again until we had his permission.

I was not very long in undressing, having secured the
services of a marine to assist me in the operation; but be-
fore I had gained my hammock I was rejoined by Keene, a
brother mid, whose watch it was below, and who brought
me down the news that the sloop was under weigh and
fairly after the stranger, who, as soon as our canvas dropped
from the yards, had squared away on a westerly course with
the wind on her quarter and a whole cloud of studding-sails
set to windward.

AN ExcrrrNG chase. 241

What with the excitement of finding mj^self once more
among so many friends and the pain of my wound it was
some time before I succeeded in getting to sleep that night;
and before I did so the Daphne was rolling like an empty
hogshead, showing how rapidly she had run oif the land and
into the sea knocked up by the gale.

When I awoke next morning the wind had dropped to a
considerable extent, the sea had gone down, and the ship
was a great deal steadier under her canvas. I was most
anxious to leave my hammock and go on deck, but this
Burnett would not for a moment consent to; my wound
was very much inflamed and exceedingly painful, the result,
doubtless, of the probing for the bullet on the night before;
and instead of being allowed to turn out I was removed in
my hammock, just as I was, to the sick bay. I was ordered

to keep very quiet, but I managed to leam, nevertheless,
that the chase was still in sight directly ahead, about nine
miles distant, and that, though she certainly was not run-
ning away from us, there seemed to be little hope of our
overtaking her for some time to come.

Matters remained in this unsatisfactory state for the next
five days, the Daphne keeping the chase in sight during
the whole of that time, but failing to come up with her.
The distance between the two vessels varied according to
the weather, the chase appearing to have the best of it in
a strong breeze, whilst the Daphne was slightly the faster
of the two in light airs. Unfortunately for us, the wind
continued very nearly dead fair, or about three points on
our starbosu*d quarter, whereas the sloop seemed to do best
with the wind abeam. We would not have objected even
to a moderate breeze dead in our teeth, our craft being
remarkably fast on a taut bowline; and as day after day
went by without any apparent prospect of an end of the

(290) Q

242 ALL IN A FOa

chase the barometer was anxiously watched, in the hope
that before long we should be favoured with a change of
weather.

On the morning of the fifth day I was so much better that,
acceding to my urgent request, Burnett consented, with

many doubtful shakes of the head, to my leaving my ham-
mock and taking the air on deck for an hour or two. I
accordingly dressed as rapidly as possible, and got on deck
just in time to catch sight of the chase, about six miles dis-
tant, before a sea mist settled down on the scene, which
soon effectually concealed her from our view. This was
particularly exasperating, since, the wind having dropped to
about a five-knot breeze, we had been slowly but perceptibly
gaining on her for the last three or four hours; and now,
when at length there appeared a prospect of overtaking her,
a chance to elude us in the fog had presented itself. Of
course it was utterly impossible to guess what ruse so wary
a foe would resort to, but that he would have recourse to
one of some kind was a moral certainty. Captain Vernon
at once took counsel with his first and second lieutenants as
to what course it would be most advisable to adopt under
the circumstances, and it was at last decided to put the ship
upon a wind, and make short tacks to the eastward until
the fog should clear, it being thought highly probable that
the chase would likewise double back upon her former course
in the hope of our running past her in the fog.

The studding-sails were accordingly taken in, and the
ship brought to the wind on the starboard tack. We made
short reaches, tacking every hour, and had gone about for
the third time when, just as the men were coiling up the
ropes fore and aft, the look-out reported:

" Sail, ho I straight ahead. Hard up, sir, or you will be
into her."

A MYSTERY. 243

Mr. Austin, who had charge of the deck, sprang upon a
gun, and peered out eagerly ahead.

" Hard over, my man, hard over!" he exclaimed excitedly;
then continued, after a moment of breathless suspense :

"All clear, all clear! we h.^-wQJmt missed her, and that is
all. By Jove, Hawkesley, that was a narrow squeak, ehl
Why, it is surely the Festalel Vestale ahoyl"

"Hillo!" was the response from the other craft, in-
dubitably the brig which we had fallen in with shortly after
our first look into the Congo, and which we had been given
to understand was the Vestale, French gun-brig.

"Have you sighted a sail of any kind to-day?" hailed
Austin.

" Non, mon Dieu 1 We have not nevaire seen a sail until
now since we leave Sierra Leone four weeks ago."

This ended the communication between the two ships,
the Vestale — or whatever she was — disappearing again into
the fog before the last words of the reply to our question
had been uttered.

" Well," said Mr. Austin, as he jumped down off the gun,
"I am disappointed. When I first caught sight of that craft
close under our bows I thought for a moment that we had
made a clever guess; that the chase had doubled on her

track, and that, by a lucky accident, we had stumbled fairly
upon her in the fog. But as soon as I caught sight of the
white figure-head and the streak round her sides I saw that
I was mistaken. Well, we may drop upon the fellow yet.
I would give a ten-pound note this instant if the fog would
only lift."

" I cannot understand it for the life of me," I replied in a
dazed sort of way, as I stepped gingerly down off the gun
upon which I, like the first lieutenant, had jumped in the
first of the excitement.

244 I CONFIDE IN MR. AUSTIN.

Mr. Austin looked at me questioningly.

"What is it that you cannot understand, Hawkesley 1 " he

asked.

" That brig — the Festale, as she calls herself — and all con-
nected with her," I answered.

"Why, what is there to understand about her? Or rather,
what is there that is incomprehensible about her?" he asked

sharply,

'^Everything" I replied eagerly. "In the first place, we
have only the statement of one man — and he a member of
her own crew — that she actually is the veritable Vestakj
French gun-brig, which we know to be cruising in these
waters. Secondly, her very extraordinary resemblance to
the Black Venus, which, as you are aware, I have seen, ab-
solutely compels me, against my better judgment, to the
belief that the two brigs are, in some mysterious way,
intimately associated together, if, indeed, they are not abso-
lutely one and the same vessel. And thirdly, my suspicion
that the latter is the case receives strong confirmation from
the fact that on both occasions when we have been after the
one — the Black Venus — we have encountered the other —
the Vestale."

Mr. Austin stared at me in a very peculiar way for a few
minutes, and then said :

"Well, Hawkesley, your last assertion is undoubtedly
true; but what does it prove? It can be nothing more than
a curious coincidence."

" So I have assured myself over and over again, when my
suspicions were strengthened by the first occurrence of the
coincidence; and so I shall doubtless assure myself over and
over again during the next few days," I replied. "But if a
coincidence only it is certainly curious that it should have
occurred on two occasions."

TALKING THE MATTER OVER, 245

" I am not quite prepared to admit that," said the first
lieutenant. "And, then, as to the remarkable resemblance
between the two vessels, do you not think, now, honestly,
Hawkesley, that your very extraordinary suspicions may
have magnified that resemblance ? "

"No," said I; "I do not. I only wish Mr. Smellie had
been on deck just now to have caught a glimpse of that in-
explicable brig ; he would have borne convincing testimony
to the marvellous likeness between them. Why, sir, but
for the white ribbon round the one, and the difference in
the figure-heads, the two craft would be positively indis-
tinguishable; so completely so, indeed, that poor Richards
was actually unable to believe the evidence of his own

senses, and, I firmly believe, was convinced of the identity
of the two vessels."

"Indeed!" said Mr. Austin in a tone of great surprise.
"That is news to me. So Richards shared your suspicions,
did he ? "

** He did, indeed, sir," I replied. " It was, in fact, his
extraordinary demeanour on the occasion of our second
encounter with the Fesiale— yon will remember the circum-
stance, sir? — which confirmed my suspicions; suspicions
which, up to then, I had attributed solely to some aberration
of fancy on my part. Then, again, when we questioned the
skipper of the Pensacola relative to the Black Venus and the
Festaky how evasive were his replies ! "

" Look here, Hawkesley; you have interested me in spite
of myself," said Mr. Austin. " If you are not too tired I
should like you to tell me the whole history of these sin-
gular suspicions of yours from the very moment of their

birth."

"I will, sir, with pleasure. They arose with M. Le
Breton's visit to us on the occasion of our first falling in with

246 SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.

the VestaUy^ I replied. And then having at last finally
broached the subject which had been for so long a secret
source of mental disquiet to me, I fully detailed to the first luff
all those suspicious circumstances^ — trifling in themselves but
important when regarded collectively — which I have already
confided to the reader. When I had finished he remained
silent for a long time, nearly a quarter of an hour I should
think, with his hands clasped behind his back and his eyes
bent on the deck, evidently cogitating deeply. Finally he
emerged from his abstraction with a start, cast an eye aloft
at the sails, and then turning to me said :

" You have given me something to think about now with
a vengeance, Hawkesley. If indeed your suspicions as to
the honesty of the Vestah should prove well-founded, your
mention of them and the acute perception which caused you
in the first instance to entertain them will constitute a very
valuable service — for which I will take care that you get full
credit — and may very possibly lead to the final detection
and suppression of a series of hitherto utterly unaccountable
transactions of a most nefarious character. At all events we
can d.0 no harm by keeping a wary eye upon this alleged
Vestale for the future, and I will make it my business to
invent some plausible pretext for boarding her on the first
opportunity which presents itself. And now I think you
have been on deck quite as long as is good for you, so away
you go below again and get back to your hammock Such
a wound as yours is not to be trifled with in this abominable
climate; and you know" — with a smile half good-humoured
and half satirical — " we must take every possible care of a
young gentleman who seems destined to teach us, from the
captain downwards, our business. There, now, don't look
hurt, my lad ; you did quite right in speaking to me, and I
am very much obliged to you for so doing; I only regret

ESCAPE OF THE "BLACK VENUS." 247

that you did not earlier make me your confidant. Now
away you go below at once."

I of course did dutifully as I was bidden, and, truth to
tell, was by no means sorry to regain my hammock, having
soon found that my strength was by no means as great as I
had expected. That same night I suffered from a consider-
able accession of fever, and in fine was confined to my
hammock for rather more than three weeks from that date,
at the end of which I became once more convalescent,
and — this time observing proper precautions and a strict
adherence to the doctor's orders — finally managed to get
myself reported as once more fit for duty six weeks from the
day on which Smellie and I rejoined the Daphne. I may as
well here mention that the fog which so inopportunely
enveloped us on the day of my conversation with Mr. Austin
did not clear away until just before sunset; and when it did
the horizon was clear all round us, no trace of a sail being
visible in any direction from our main-royal yard.

CHAPTER XVI.

A VERY MYSTERIOUS OCCURRENCE.

N extreme disgust at the loss of the notorious
Black Venus Captain Vernon reluctantly gave
orders for the resumption of the cruise, and
the Daphne was once more headed in for the
land, it being the skipper's intention to give a look in at
all the likely places along the coast as far north as the Bight
of Benin.

This was terribly tedious and particularly trying to the
men, it being all boat work. The exploration of the Feman
Vas river occupied thirty hours, whilst in the case of the
Ogow6 river the boats were away from the ship for four
days and three nights; the result being that when at last
we went into Sierra Leone we had ten men down with
fever, and had lost four more from the same cause. The
worst of it all was that our labour had been wholly in vain,
not a single prize being taken nor a suspicious craft fallen in
with. Here we found Williams and the prize crew of the
Josef a awaiting us according to instructions; so shipping
them and landing the sick men Captain Vernon lost no time
in putting to sea once more.

On leaving Sierra Leone a course was shaped for the
Congo, and after a long and very tedious passage, during

the whole of which we had to contend against light head-
sis

THE "vestale" again. 249

winds, we found ourselves once more within sight of the
river at daybreak.

It was stark calm, with a cloudless sky, and a long lazy
swell came creeping in from the southward and eastward
causing the sloop to roll most uncomfortably. We were
about twelve miles off the land; and at about half-way
between us and it, becalmed like ourselves, there lay a brig,
which our telescopes informed us was the Vestale, On this
fact being decisively ascertained Mr, Austin came up to me
and said:

" There is your Mte noire, the Vestale, once more, you see,
Hawkesley. I have been thinking a great deal about what
you said to me some time ago respecting her, and I have
come to the conclusion that it is quite worth our while to
look into the matter, at least so far as will enable us to
judge whether your suspicions are wholly groundless or not.
If they are — if, in fact, the craft proves to be what she
professes herself — well and good ; we can dismiss the affair
finally and for ever from our minds and give our undivided
attention to other matters. But I confess you have to a
certain extent imbued me with your own doubts as to the
strict integrity of yonder brig; there are one or two little
matters you mentioned which escaped my notice and which
certainly have rather a suspicious appearance. I therefore
intend — if the craft is bound into the river like ourselves —
to make an early opportunity to pay her a visit on some
pretext or other."

" Have you mentioned the matter to Captain Vernon yet,
sir 1 " I inquired.

" No, not yet," was the reply. " I must have something
a little more definite to say before I broach the matter to
him. But here comes the breeze at last, a sea breeze, too,
thank Heaven 1 Man the braces fore and aft; square away

250 FALSE OR TRUEt

the yards and brail in the mizen. Hard up with your helm,
my man, and keep her dead away for the mouth of the river."
The faint blue line along the western horizon came creep-
ing gradually down toward us, and presently a catspaw or
two ruffled the glassy surface of the water for a moment
and disappeared. Then a deliciously cool and refreshing
draught of air fanned our faces and swelled out the light
upper canvas for an instant, died away, came again a trifle
stronger and lasted for perhaps half a minute, then with a
flap the canvas collapsed, filled again, the sloop gathered
way and paid off with her head to the eastward; a bubble
or two floated past her sides, a faint ripple arose under her
bows, grew larger, became audible, the glassy surface of the
water grew gently ruffled and assumed an exquisite cerulean
tint, the wheel began to press against the helmsman's hand,
and away we went straight for the mouth of the river — and

the brig.

The breeze, gentle though it was, reached our neighbour
long before we did, and as soon as she felt it she too bore
up, squared her yards, and headed direct for Boolambemba
Point She was about three miles ahead of us when the
breeze reached her, and I felt very curious to see where she
would finally come to an anchor. The only safe anchorage
is in Banana Creek, and though slavers constantly resort to
the numerous other creeks and inlets higher up the river no
captain of a man-of-war would think for a moment of risk-
ing his ship in any of them unless the emergency happened
to be very pressing, nor even then imless his vessel happened
to be of exceedingly light draught. If therefore the brig
anchored in Banana Creek I should accept it as a point in
favour of her honesty; if not, my suspicions would be
stronger than ever.

It so happened that she did anchor in Banana Creek, but

A PRECIPITATE VISIT. 251

fully a quarter of a mile higher up it than old Mildmay the
master thought it prudent for us to venture, though in
obedience to a hint from Mr. Austin he took us much
further in than where we had anchored on our previous
visit The brig got in fully half an hour before us, her
canvas was consequently stowed, her yards squared, ropes
hauled taut and coiled down, and her boats in the water
when otir anchor at length plunged into the muddy opaque-
looking water of the creek.

We were barely brought up — and indeed the hands were
still aloft stowing the canvas — when a gig shoved off from
the brig and pulled down the creek. A few minutes later
she dashed alongside and M. Le Breton once more presented
himself upon our quarter-deck, cap in had, bowing, smiling,
and grimacing as only a Frenchman can. His visit, though
such a singularly precipitate one, was, it soon tiu-ned out,
merely a visit of ceremony, which he prolonged to such an
extent that Captain Vernon was perforce obliged to invite
him down below to breakfast, Mr. Austin and I being also
the skipper's guests on that particular morning. In the
course of the meal he made several very complimentary
remarks as to the appearance of the Daphne^ and finally-
when I suppose he saw that he had thus completely won
poor Austin's heart — he very politely expressed his extreme
desire to take a look through the ship, a desire which the
first luiF with equal politeness assured him it would give
him great pleasure to gratify.

The fellow certainly had a wonderfully plausible and win
ning way with him, there was no denying that, and I saw
that under its influence the slight suspicions which I had
imparted to poor honest-hearted, straightforward Mr. Austin
were melting like snowflakes under a summer sun. Still,
under all the plausibility, the delicate flattery, and the

252 LE bketon's invitation.

elaborate politeness of the man, there was a vague indefin-
able something to which I found it quite impossible to
reconcile myself; and I watched him as a cat does a mouse,
anxious to note whatever suspicious circumstances might
transpire, in order that I might be fully prepared for the
talk with the first luff which I felt certain would closely
follow upon our visitor's departure. To my chagrin, how-
ever, I was on this occasion wholly unable to detect any-
thing whatever out of the common, and M. Le Breton's
broken English, upon which I had laid such stress in my
former conversation with Mr. Austin, was now quite consis-
tent and irreproachable. He was taken through the ship
and shown every nook and corner in her, and finally, about
noon, took his leave. Just before going down over the side
be apologized for the non-appearance of "Captain Dubosc"
upon the plea that that gentleman was confined to his ham-
mock with a severe attack of dysentery; but if the officers
of the Daphne would honour the Festale's ward-room with
their presence at dinner that evening M. Le Breton and his
brother officers would be " enchanted." And, apparently as
an after-thought, when his foot was on the top step of the
gangway ladder, this very agreeable gentleman urgently
requested the pleasure of Mr. Austin's company on a sport-
ing expedition which he and one or two more were about
to undertake that afternoon. This latter invitation was
declined upon the plea of stress of work; but the invitation
to dinner was accepted conditionally upon the work being
in a sufficiently forward state to allow of the officers leaving
the ship.

We were indeed exceedingly busy that day, Mr. Austin
having determined to take advantage of the opportunity
which our being at anchor afforded him to lift the rigging
off the mastheads and give it and them a thorough overhaul.

POOR AUSTIN. 253

As for me, I was engaged during the whole of the day in
charge of a boat's crew filling up our water casks and tanks
and foraging in the adjacent forest for a supply of fruit, not
a single native canoe having approached us during the
entire day. It was, consequently, not until late in the
afternoon, when the neck of the day's work was broken,
that I had an opportunity of exchanging a word or two with
the first lieutenant on the subject of our neighbour, the brig,
and then it was only a word or two. Mr. Austin opened
the conversation with :

" Well, Hawkesley, what do you think of our friend M. Le
Breton, now that you have had an opportunity of bettering
your acquaintance with him?"

" Well, sir," I replied " on the whole I am inclined to think
that there is just a bare possibility of my having been mis-
taken in my estimate of him and of the character of the brig.
StiU— "

"Still your mind is not yet quite easy," Mr. Austin
laughingly interrupted me. " Now, what could you possibly
have noticed of a suspicious character in the poor fellow's
conduct this morning 1"

"Nothing" I was obliged to acknowledge, "I am quite
prepared to admit, sir, a total absence of those peculiarities
of manner which I am certain existed during his first visit
to the ship. But did you not think it strange that he should
be in such a tremendous hurry to come on board us this
morning ? At first I was inclined to think his object might
be to prevent a visit from some of us to the brig; but that
supposition is met, to some extent, by his invitation to us
for this evening. The delay may, of course, have afforded
them an opportunity to make arrangements for our recep-
tion by putting out of sight any — "

" Any tell-tale evidences of their dishonesty," laughed the

254 INTO THE TRAP.

first luff. ** Eeally, Hawkesley, I must say I think you are
deceiving yourself and worrying yourself unnecessarily. Of
course I can quite understand how, having harboured those
extraordinary suspicions of yours for so great a length of
time, you now find it difficult to dismiss them all in a mo-
ment; but have patience for a few hours more; an excellent
opportunity is now oifered us for satisfying ourselves as to
the brig's bona fideSy and you may rest assured that I shall
make the very best use of it I find I shall be the only
guest of the Frenchmen to-night — the rest of the officers are
far too busy to leave the ship, and indeed / can hardly be
spared, and would not go but for the fact that it would look
uncivil if we in a body declined their invitation; but I will
see that to-morrow you have an opportunity of going on
board and investigating for yourself. And now I must be
oflF to make myself presentable, or I shall be keeping my
hosts waiting, and perhaps spoil their dinner."

With that he dived below; and I turned away to attend
to some little matter connected with the progress of the
work. A quarter of an hour later he reappeared on deck,
clean shaven, and looking very handsome and seamanlike in
his best suit of uniform; and, the gig being piped away, he
went down over the side, giving me a parting nod as he did
so. I watched the boat dash up alongside the brig; noted
that the side was manned in due form, that our worthy
*' first" was received by a group of officers on the quarter-
deck, conspicuous among whom I could make out with the
aid of my glass M. Le Breton, evidently performing the cere-
mony of introduction; and then the work being finished,
ropes coiled down, and everything once more restored to its
proper place, the hands were piped to tea, and I descended
to the midshipmen's den, thoroughly tired out with my un-
wonted exertion.

what's thatI 255

When I again went on deck, about an hour later, the stars
were shining brilliantly ; the moon, about three days old, was
gleaming with a soft subdued radiance through the topmost
branches of the trees on the adjacent shore; and the night
mist was already gathering so thickly on the bosom of the
river that the brig loomed through it vague, shadowy, and
indistinct as a phantom craft. The tide was ebbing, and
her stern was turned toward us, but no lights appeared
gleaming through her cabin windows, which struck me as
being a little strange until I remembered that M. Le Breton
had spoken of her captain being ilL A few of our lads were
amusing themselves on the forecastle, dancing to the en-
livening strains of the cook's fiddle, or singing songs* and
an occasional round of applause or an answering song came
floating down upon the gentle night-breeze from the brig;
but as the fog grew thicker these sounds gradually ceased,
we lost sight of her altogether, and so far as sound or sight
was concerned we might have been the only craft in the
entire river. Our own lads also quieted down ; and finally
the only sounds which broke the solemn stillness of the
night were the sighing of the breeze, the gentle rustle of the
foliage, and the loud sonorous chirrs chirr^ chirr of the in-
sects.

It was about half-past nine o'clock, and I was just think-
ing of going below to turn in when I became conscious of
the sounds of a commotion of some sort; a muffled cry, which
seemed to me like a call for " help;" a dull thud, as of a fall-
ing body, and a splash/ The sounds certainly proceeded from
the direction of the brig ; and I thought that they must have
emanated from a spot at about her distance from the Daphne,
The slight feeling of drowsiness which had possessed me
took flight at once ; all my senses became instantly upon the
alert ; and I awaited in keen expectancy to hear if anything

256 THE MYSTERY THICKENS.

further followed. In vain; the minutes sped past, and neither
sight nor sound occurred to elucidate the mystery. I began
to feel anxious and alarmed ; my old suspicions rose up again
like a strong man aroused from sleep; and I walked aft to
Mr. Armitage, who was leaning against a gun with his arms
folded, and his chin sunk upon his breast evidently in deep
meditation. He started up as he heard my footstep ap-
proaching; and on my asking if he had heard anything
peculiar ahead of us, somewhat shortly acknowledged that
he had not I thereupon told him what I had heard; but
he evidently attached no importance to my statement, sug-
gesting that if anything it was doubtless some of the French-
men amusing themselves. I was by no means satisfied with
this, and, my uneasiness increasing every moment, I went
forward to ascertain whether any of the hands on the fore-
castle had heard the mysterious sounds. 1 found them all
listening open-mouthed to some weird and marvellous yarn
which one of the topmen was spinning for their edification;
and from them also I failed to elicit anything satisfactory.
Finally, it suddenly occurred to me that, in my wanderings
ashore, I had often noticed how low the night-mists lay
upon the surface of the river; and it now struck me that by
going aloft I might get sight of something which would tend
to explain the disquieting occurrence. To act upon the idea
was the work of a moment; I sprang into the main rigging
and made my way aloft as rapidly as if my life depended
upon it, utterly heedless of the fact that the rigging had
been freshly tarred down that day ; and in less than a minute
had reached the maintopmast crosstrees. As I had anti-
cipated I was here almost clear of the mist; and I eagerly
looked ahead to see if all was right in that quarter. The
first objects which caught my eye were the mastheads of
the brig, broad on our starboard bow instead of directly

WHAT*S DOING ON BOARD THE BRIG? 257

ahead, as I had expected to find them. This of itself struck
me as being somewhat strange; but, what was stranger still,
they seemed to be unaccountably near to us. I rubbed my eyes
and looked at them again. They were just in a line with
the tops of a clump of trees which rose like islands out of
the silvery mist, and as I looked I saw that the spars were
moving, gliding slowly and almost imperceptibly past the
trees toward the river. The brig was adrift. I listened in-
tently for quite five minutes without hearing the faintest
sound from the craft, and during that time she had neared
us almost a cable's length. In another minute or two she
would be abreast of and within a couple of ships^ lengths of
us. What could it mean 1 She could not by any possibility
have struck adrift accidentally. And if her berth was being
intentionally shifted for any reason, why was the operation
carried out under cover of the fog and in such profound
silence 1 There had been no sound of lifting the anchor;
nor could I hear anything to indicate that they were running
out warps ; it looked very much as though they had slipped
their cable, and were allowing the tide to carry them silently
out to sea And where was Mr, Austin during this stealthy
movement 1 Was he aware of it 1 Why, if my suspicions
were correct, had they invited the officers of the Daphne on
board to dinner? Was it merely a blind, a temporary resort
to the usual courtesies adopted for the purpose of giving
colour to their assumed character of a French man-o'-war, or
was it a diabolical scheme to get us all into their power and
so deprive a formidable antagonist of its head, so to speak,
and thus cripple it?

All these surmises and many others equally Mdld flashed
through my bewildered brain as I stood there on the cross-
trees watching the stealthy phantom-like movement of the
brig's upper spars ; and the conclusion to which I finally came

(S90) B

258 UR, ARMITAGB IS INCKEDULOTJS.

was that Captain Vernon ought to be informed forthwith of
what was going on. I accordingly descended to the deck
and once more sought out the third heutenant.

"Mr. Armitage," said I, in a low cautious tone of voice,
** the brig is adrift, and driving down past us with the tide
in the direction of the river."

" The brig adrift I" he repeated incredulously, "Nonsense,
Mr. Hawkesley, you must be dreaming 1"

" Indeed I am not, sir, I assure you," I replied earnestly.
" I have this moment come from aloft, and I saw her top-
gallantmasts most distinctly over the top of the mist. She
is away over in that direction, and scarcely a cable's length
distant from us."

"Are you quiU sv/ref" he asked, aroused at laat by my
earnest manner to something like interest. " I can hear no
sound of her."

"No, sir," I replied; "and that, in conjunction with the
sounds which I undoubtedly heard just now makes me think
that something must be wrong on board her. Do you not
think the matter ought to be reported to Captain Vernon 1"

"Most certainly it ought," he agreed. "Is it possible
that the crew have taken the ship from their officers, think
youf

I scarcely know what to think," I replied. " Let us speak
to the captain at once, and hear what he has to say about it."

Thereupon the third lieutenant directed Keene, one of the
midshipmen, to take temporary charge of the deck; and we
at once dived below.

" Well, Mr. Armitage, what is itt" asked Captain Vernon,
as we presented ourselves in the cabin and discovered him
and Mr. SmeUie chatting together over their wine and
cigars.

"I must apologize for intruding upon you, sir," said

MADi 269

Armitage; " but Hawkesley here has come to me with a very
extraordinary story which I think you had better hear from

his own lips."

"Oh I Well, what is it, Mr. . Why, Hawkesley,

where in the world have you been, and what doing, man?
You are positively smothered in tar."

" Yes, sir," I replied, glancing at myself and discovering
for the first time by the brilliant light of the cabin lamp
the woeful ruin wrought upon my uniform. "I really beg
your pardon, sir, for presenting myself in this plight, but
the urgent nature of my business must be my excuse." And
I forthwith plunged in medias res and told what I had heard

and seen.

"The noise of a scuffle and the brie adrift!" exclaimed
the skipper. " The crew surely cannot have risen upon their
officers and taken the ship!" the same idea promptly pre-
senting itself to him as had occurred to the third lieu-
tenant.

"No, sir," said I. "I do not believe that is it at all; the
commotion was not great enough or prolonged enough for
that; all the officers would not be likely to be taken by sur-
prise, but one man might be."

"One manl What do you mean? I don't understand
you," rapped out the skipper.

" Well, then, sir, to speak the whole of my mind plainly,
I am greatly afraid that Mr. Austin has met with foul play
on board that brig, and that she is not a French man-o'-war
at all, as she professes to be," I exclaimed.

I saw Smellie start; and he was about to speak when:

"Mr. Austin! Foul play! Not a French man-o'-warl!"

gasped the skipper. "Why, Good Heavens! the boy is

madr

" If I am, sir, I can only say that I have been so for the

260 THE SKIPPER BECOMES INTERESTED.

last four months," I retorted. "For it is fully as long as
that, or longer, that I have had my suspicions about that
brig and her crew."

"What!" exclaimed Smellie. "Have you^ too, suspected
the brig 1"

" I have, indeed, sir," I replied.

"Take a chair, Hawkesley," interrupted the skipper;
"pour yourself out a glass of wine, and let us have your
story in the fewest possible words. Mr. Armitage, do me
the favour to ascertain the brig's present whereabouts and
let me know. Now, Hawkesley, we are ready to listen to
you."

As the skipper ceased, Armitage bowed and withdrew,
whilst I very hastily sketched the rise and progress of my
suspicions, from M. Le Breton's first visit up to that present
moment.

Before I had proceeded very far, however, Armitage
returned with the intelligence that the brig was undoubted-
ly adrift and already some distance astern of us, and that
the topman, who had been aloft to inspect, had reported
that he thought he could detect men on her yards.

" Turn up the hands at once then, sir, if you please, and
see everything ready for slipping our cable and making sail
at a moment's notice. But let everything be done in absolute
silence; and keep a hand aloft to watch the brig and report
anything further he may notice on board her; it really looks
as though we were on the brink of some important discovery.
Now go ahead with your story, Hawkesley," said the
skipper.

I proceeded as rapidly as possible, merely stating what
suspicious circumstances had come under my own notice,
and leaving Captain Vernon to draw his own deductions.
When I had finished, the skipper turned to Smellie and said :

SINISTER BEHAVIOUR OF THE BRIG. 261

"Am I to understand, from your remark made a short
time ago, that you, too, have suspected this mysterious brig,
Mr. Smellie?"

" Yes," answered Smellie, "I certainly had a vague feeling
that there was something queer about her; but my suspicions
were not neariy so clear and strong as Hawkesley's, and
subsequent events quite drove the matter out of my mind."

" Um !" remarked the skipper meditatively; "it is strange,
very strange. / never noticed anything peculiar about the
craft"

"The brig is now about half a mile distant, sir, and is
making sail," reported Armitage at that moment, presenting
himself again at the cabin door.

"Then wait until the hands are out of his rigging; then
slip, and we will be after him. I intend to see to the bottom
of this," returned the skipper sharply. "There is undoubt-
edly something wrong or poor Austin would have turned up
on board before matters had reached this stage. But, mind,
let the work be carried on without an unnecessary sound of
any kind."

As Armitage again withdrew and Smellie rose to his feet.
Captain Vernon turned to me and said :

" I am very greatly obliged to you for the zeal and dis-
cretion you have manifested in this most delicate matter,
Hawkesley; whatever comes of it I shall remember that you
have acted throughout to the very best of your ability, not
coming to me precipitately with a vague unconnected story,
but waiting patiently until you had accumulated a sufficiency
of convincing evidence for us to act upon; though, even now
we must be very cautious as to what we do. And let me
also add that Mr. Smellie has spoken to me in the highest
terms of your conduct throughout that trying time when
you and he were ashore together; indeed he assures me that

262 "TO BUSINESS."

to you, under God, he is indebted for the actual preservation
of his life. I have watched you carefully from the moment
of your first coming on board, and I have been highly
gratified with your conduct throughout Go on as you have
begun, young sir, and you will prove an ornament to the
aervice. And now. eentiemen, to business."

CHAPTER XVIL

POOR Austin's fate.

HURRIED on deck, highly gratified at the very
handsome compliment paid me by the skipper,
and found that the hands were aloft, casting
loose the canvas. Presently, without a word
having been spoken above a whisper, or a shout uttered,
they came down again; the topsail halliards were manned,
the yards mast-headed, the jib run up, the cable slipped, and
we were under weigh; the fog all the time being as thick as
a hedge, so thick indeed that it was impossible to see the
jib-boom end from the quarter-deck. Old Mildmay, the
master, was conning the ship; but of course in such a fog it
was all guess-work, and the old fellow was terribly nervous
and anxious, as indeed was abo Captain Vernon. It struck
me that the ship might be better conned from aloft, and I
stepped up to the skipper and with due modesty mentioned
my idea.

"A very happy thought]" exclaimed the master, who
happened to overhear me. "Pll just step up as far as the
crosstrees myself."

"Very good, Mr. Mildmay; do so by all means," said
Captain Vernon. "But the wind is light, and what little of
it there is will carry the sound of your voice down to the
brig if you hail the deck, and so apprise them of our

26S

264 PILOTAGE UNDER DIFFICULTIES

approacL We must avoid that if possible; I want to get
alongside the craft and take her by surprise, and we may
have some trouble in accomplishing that if they suspect that
we are after them. The Daphne is a fast ship, but so also is
the brig, and I am by no means certain that she has not the
heels of us. We must devise a little code of signals from
you to the deck, so as to obviate any necessity for hailing.
Can anyone suggest anything?"

A very simple plan had occcurred to me whilst the skipper
was speaking, and as no one else seemed to have a suggestion
to make, I offered mine.

"If the pennant halliards were cast adrift down here on
deck, sir, and held by one of us," I said, "Mr. Mildmay
could get hold of them aloft, and one tug upon them might
mean 'port,' two tugs 'starboard,' and three * steady.'"

" Excellent!" exclaimed the skipper, "and perfectly simple;
we will adopt it forthwith, and you shall attend to the deck-
end of the halliards, Mr. Hawkesley, with Mr. Keene and
Mr. Peters to pass the word from you along the deck to the
helmsman. Place us in a good weatherly position, Mr.
Mildmay, if you please, so that when we run clear of the

fog the brig may have no chance to dodge us."

"Ay ay, sir, never fear for me," answered Old Mildmay
as he swung nimbly into the main rigging, and in a few
seconds his body disappeared in the mist.

The old fellow soon put us in the right course, and away
we went, crowding sail after the invisible brig. An anxious
half-hour followed, and then we ran out of the fog and found
ourselves creeping along parallel with the land to the north-
ward of the river-mouth, with the brig about half a mile
ahead of us under every stitch of canvas she could show to
the freshening land-breeze. We had gained on her con-
siderably, the master having kept a keen eye upon her

THE MASK DISCARDED. 265

gleaming upper canvas whilst piloting us out of the river
and steering in such a direction as to very nearly cut her off
altogether. He of course came down on deck as soon as we
had cleared the fog, and Captain Vernon at once ordered the
crew to quarters.

The men were not long in getting to their stations, and
when all was ready a gun was fired after the flying brig, as
a polite request for her to heave-to, and the ensign hoisted
to the peak. I was naturally very anxious to see what
notice would be taken of this, since the somewhat high-
handed course we were taking with the craft had been
adopted entirely upon the strength of my representations;

and if the brig should, after all, turn out to be the Vestale
French gun-brig as she had pretended to be, our skipper
might perhaps involve himself in a considerable amount of
trouble. It was therefore with a sigh of real and genuine

relief that I heard a shot come whistling close past us from
the brig in reply to our own.

Captain Vernon, too, was evidently much relieved, for he
ejaculated in tones of great satisfaction:

"Good! she has fired a shotted gun at us and refuses to
show her colours. Now my course is perfectly clear. Try
the effect of another gun on her, Mr. Armitage, and aim at
her spars; she is skimming along there like a witch, and if
we are not careful will give us the slip yet."

Armitage, who was in charge^ of the battery forward, upon
this began peppering away at her in earnest; but though
the shot made daylight through her canvas every time, no
damage was done either to her spars or rigging, and it began
to be only too evident that she was gradually creeping away
from us. To make matters worse, too, her crew were just
as smart with their guns as we were with ours, in fact a
trifle more so, for before a quarter of an hour had passed

266 CAPTAIN VEKNON GROWS IMPATIENT

several of our ropes, fortunately unimportant ones, had been
cut; and at length a thud and a crack aloft turned all eyes
in that direction, to see the fore royal-mast topple over to
leeward.

Captain Vernon stamped upon the deck in the height of
his vexation.

"Away aloft, there, and clear the wreck," he exclaimed,
"and, for Heaven's sake, Mr. Armitage, see if you cannot
cripple the fellow. Ten minutes more and he will be out
of range; then *good-bye' to him. I wish to goodness our
people at home would condescend to take a lesson in ship-
building from the men who turn out these slavers ; we should
then have a chance of maldng a capture occasionally."

Whilst the skipper had been thus giving vent to his
rapidy increasing chagrin, Smellie had walked forward; and
presently I caught sight of him stooping down and squinting
along the sights of the gun which had just been re-loaded
ajad run out. A few seconds of anxious suspense followed,
and then came a flash and a sharp report, followed the next
moment by a ringing cheer from the men on the forecastle.
The brig's fore-yard had been shot away in the slings.

The craft at once shot up into the wind and lay appa-
rently at our mercy.

"Ram us alongside him, Mildmay," exclaimed the skipper
in an ecstasy of dehght. "Stand by with the grappling-irons
fore and aft. Mr. Smellie, stand by to lead a party on board
him forward; I will attend to matters aft here."

It really looked for a moment as though we actually had
the brig ; but a chill of disappointment thrilled through me
when I saw how splendidly she was handled. The man
who commanded her was evidently equal to any emergency,
for no sooner did the craft begin to luff into the wind than
he let fly his after braces, shivered his main topsail, and

"WK MUST GRIN AND BEAR IT." 267

hauled his head sheets over to windward, and — after a pause
which must have sent the hearts of all on board into their
mouths — the brig began to pay off again, until, by a deft
and dainty manipulation of her canvas, she was actually got
dead before the wind, when the main yard was squared and
away she went once more but little the worse for her serious
mishap.

If her skipper, however, was a thorough seaman, so too
was old Mildmay. That experienced veteran soon saw how
matters were tending, and though he was unable to "ram"
us alongside in accordance with Captain Vernon's energeti-
cally expressed desire, he placed the Daphne square in the
wake and to windward of the brig, and within half a cable's
length of her, thus, to some extent, taking the wind out of
her sails, the effect of which was that we immediately began
to gain upon her.

The crew of the brig now worked at their stem-chasers
with redoubled energy, and our running-gear soon began to
suffer. But though we might to some extent have avoided
this by sheering away on to one or other of the brig's
quarters, the position we then held was so commanding
that the skipper resolved to maintain it. " We must grin
and bear it," said he, "it will not be for long; another five
minutes will place us alongside. Edge down a trifle toward
his port quarter, Mildmay, as though we intended to board
him on that aide, then, at the last moment, sheer sharply
across his stern and range up on his starboard side, it may
possibly save us a broadside as we board. Mr. Smellie,
kindly load both batteries with round and grape, if you

F

please; we will deliver our broadside and board in the
smoke."

Within the specified five minutes we ranged up alongside
the brig, delivered our broadside, receiving hers in return,

268 AN IMPORTANT CAPTURE.

her hands proving too smart to let us escape that; our
grappling-irons were securely hooked into her rigging, and
away we went on board her fore and aft, being perhaps a
second ahead of the brig's crew, who actually had the hardi-
hood to attempt to board us. We were stoutly met by as
motley, and, at the same time, as ruffianly a set of men as it
has ever been my lot to encounter; and a most desperate
struggle forthwith ensued. Captain Vernon of course took
care to be first on board ; but I stuck close to his coat-tails,
and almost the first individual we encountered was no less
a personage than our old acquaintance M. Le Breton himself.
He pressed fiercely forward and at once crossed swords with
the skipper, who exchanged two or three passes with him;
but the two were soon separated by the surging crowd of
combatants, and then I found myself face to face with him.
I was by no means a skilled swordsman, and to tell the
truth felt somewhat nervous for a moment as his blade
jarred and rasped upon mine. By great good fortune, how-
ever, I succeeded in parrying his first thrust, and the next
instant — how it happened I could not possibly say — he reeled
backwards with my sword-blade right through his body.
Leaving him dying, as I thought, on deck, I immediately
pressed forward after the skipper, and for a few minutes
was kept pretty busy, first with one antagonist and then
another. Finally, after a fiercely maintained struggle of
some twelve minutes or so, the brig's crew began to give
way before our own lads, until, finding themselves hemmed
in on all sides, they flung down their arms and begged for
quarter, which was of course given them. Upon this, seeing
that the skipper and Smellie were both safe, I turned to go
below, thinking that I should perhaps discover poor Austin
in durance vile in one of the state-rooms. I descended the
cabin staircase, and was about to pass into the saloon when

CAUGHT IN THE NICK OF TIME. 269

I happened to catch sight, out of the comer of my eye, of
some dark object moving in an obscure comer under the
staircase. Turning to take a more direct look at it I to my
great surprise discovered it to be M, Le Breton, who, instead
of being dead as I had quite imagined he must be, was alive,
and, seemingly, not very much the worse for his wound.
He carried a pistol in his hand, and was in the very act of
lowering himself down through a trap in the flooring when
I grasped him by the collar and invited him to explain his
intentions. He quietly allowed me to drag him out of the
opening, rose to his feet, and then suddenly closed with me,
aiming fierce blows at my uncovered head — I had lost my
hat somehow in the struggle on deck — with the heavy brass-
mounted butt of his pistol In such an encounter as this I
did not feel very much afraid of him, being tall for my age,
and having developed a fair share of muscular strength since
leaving England; but it was as much as I coidd do to hold
him and at the same time prevent his inflicting some serious
injury upon me. His wound, however, told upon him at
last, and I eventually succeeded in dragging him back to the
deck, though not until after he had ineff'ectually emptied his
pistol at me.

On regaining the deck I found our lads busy securing the
prisoners, and M. Le Breton was soon made as safe as the
rest of them.

He was loudly protesting against the indignity of being
bound, when Captain Vernon approached.

"Oh! here you are, Hawkesley!" he exclaimed. "I was
looking for you, and began to fear that you had met with a
mishap. Do me the favour to step below and see if you can
discover anything of Mr. Austin."

" I have already once been below with that object, sir,"
I replied; " but, discovering this man — Le Breton as he calls

270 A KEY TO THE MYSTERY.

himself — acting in a very suspicious manner, I deemed it
my duty to see him safe on deck before proceeding further
in my quest."

"What was he doing t" asked the skipper sharply.

"I viH tell you, sare, vat I was doing," interrupted Le
Breton recklessly. " I vas on my vay to ze soute aux poudres
to blow you and all ze people to ze devil to keep company
wiz your inqueezatif first leftenant And I would have done
eet, too, but for zat pestilent midshipman, who have ze gripe
of ze devil himself. Festef you Eengleesh, you are hke ze
bouledogue, ven you take hold you not nevare let go
again."

" There, Hawkesley, what do you think of that for a com-
pliment?" laughed the skipper. "So, monsieur," he resumed,
"you were about to blow us up, eh? Very kind of you,
I'm sure. Perhaps you will increase our obligation to you
by informing me what you have done with Mr, Austin?"

"Done wiz him!" reiterated Le Breton with a diabolical
sneer. " Why, I have sent him to ze bottom of ze creek,
where I would have sent you all if you had not been too
cautious to accept my polite invitation."

"Do I understand you to mean that you have murdered
him?" thimdered the skipper.

"Yes," was the reckless answer; "drowned him or murdered
him, call it what you will"

"You treacherous scoundrel!" ejaculated the skipper
hoarsely; "you shall be made to bitterly account for this
unprovoked outrage; clap him in irons," turning to the
master-at-arms, who happened to be close at hand. " Poor
Austin 1" he continued. "Your suspicions, Hawkesley, have
proved only too correct; the craft is, unquestionably, a slaver
— or worse. We must have her thoroughly overhauled;
possibly some documents of great value to us may be found

WE RETURN TO THE CREEK. 271

stowed away somewhere or other. I'll see to it at once."
And he forthwith dived below.

The prisoners having been secured, the dead and wounded
were next attended to, the former being lashed up in their
hammocks ready for burial, whilst the latter were carefully
conveyed below to receive such attention as the surgeon and
his assistant could bestow. The brig's loss was very severe,
sixteen of her men having been killed and twenty-two
wounded — principally by our final broadside — out of a total
of sixty hands. Our own loss was light, considering the
determination with which the enemy had fought, amounting
to only eleven wounded. As soon as a sufficiency of hands
could be spared for the purpose, the brig's square canvas
was furled, a prize crew was told oflf to take charge of her,
and the two craft then made sail in company — the brig
under her fore-and-aft canvas only — for the anchorage under
Padron Point, where we brought up about a couple of hours
later. Captain Vernon then returned to the Daphne in the
brig's gig, bringing with him a bundle of papers, and leaving
Smellie in charge of the prize; an anchor watch was set, and
all hands then turned in, pretty well tired but highly elated
at the result of our evening's work.

At daybreak next morning both vessels weighed and re-
turned to their former berths in Banana Creek, the Daphne
picking up the cable which she had slipped on the previous
night. The dead were then buried on the little island which
lies on the east side of the creek; after which the carpenter
and boatswain with their mates were set to work upon the
necessary repairs to the brig. This craft now proved to be
English built, having been turned out of a Shoreham ship-
yard, and originally registered under the name of the
Virginia; but how she had come to get into the hands of
the individuals from whom we took her there was nothing

272 A DASTARDLY DEED.

to show. She was completely fitted for carrying on the
business of a slaver; but from the nature of the goods dis-
covered in her after hold — which was quite separate from
her main hold — there could be no doubt that she had also
done a little piracy whenever a convenient opportunity had
presented itself.

I was sent away directly after breakfast that morning in
charge of a couple of boats with orders to drag the creek
for poor Mr. Austin's body, and in little more than an hour
we fortunately found it quite iminjured. The poor fellow
had evidently been taken completely by surprise, a gag being
in his mouth, and his hands manacled behind him, with a
stout canvas bag containing two 18-pound shot lashed to
his feet We took the body on board the Daphne, and it
was at once conveyed below to his own cabin, pending the
construction of a coffin, the ensign being at the same time
hoisted half up to the peak.

This melancholy duty performed I was again sent away
to drag for the anchor and cable slipped by the Virginia on
the previous evening, and these also I found, weighed, and
conveyed on board the prize, where, under Smellie's able
supervision, the work of repairing and refitting was going
on apace.

About noon that same day a strange brig entered the river
with the French flag flying at her peak, and brought up in
the creek about a cable's length astern of us. We were at
once struck with the marked resemblance which the stranger
bore to the Virginia — though it was by no means so striking
as the similarity between our prize and the Black Venus —
and we forthwith came to the conclusion that we now at
last beheld the veritable Vestale — the real Simon Pure — be-
fore us. And so, upon Armitage boarding her, she proved
to be; her captain, upon hearing of the extraordinary per-

THE LAST HONOURS. 273

sonation of his craft so successfully played off upon us by
the Virginia^ actually producing his commission to prove his
hona-fides. During the course of this somewhat eventful day,
also, one of our lads learned from one of the prisoners that
on the occasion of our second encounter with the Virginia
— when she so cleverly pretended to be in pursuit of the
Black Venus — she was actually making the best of her way
to Havana with the three hundred slaves on board which
she had accused her sister ship of carrying off, and that her
elaborate signalling on that occasion was merely resorted to
for the purpose of hoodwinking us.

At four o'clock that afternoon, Mr. Austin's body having
been deposited in the coflSn which had been prepared for it,
the hands were mustered on deck in their clean clothes, the
boats were hoisted out, and the body was deposited in the
launch, with the union-jack spread over the coffin as a pall,
and the ensign hoisted half-mast high on the staff in the
boat's stern. Just as the procession was on the point of
shoving off from the ship's side, the officers of the Vesiale,
who had incidentally learned the particulars of Austin's
murder, approached in their two gigs, with the French flag
floating at half-mast from the ensign-staves in the sterns of
their boats, and took up a position in the rear. We then
shoved off; the first and second cutters taking the launch in
tow, and proceeding up the creek in charge of old MOdmay,
the master, the captain and officers following in the two
gigs. As soon as we were clear of the ship*s side the Daphne
began firing minute-guns, to which the Vestale, hoisting her
nsign half up to the peak, replied; and so we moved slowly
up the creek, the minute-guns continuing as long as the
boats remained within sight of the ship. We proceeded for
a distance of about two miles, which brought us to a lovely
spot selected by the skipper, who had himself sought it out

(290) s

274 A PAINFUL CEREMONY.

during the morning, and there we landed. The body was

then passed out of the launch and shouldered by six petty

officers; Smellie and I supporting the pall on one side, whilst

Armitage and old Mildmay performed a like duty on the

other; the skipper leading the way to the grave and reading

the burial service as he went, whilst the remaining officers

and men, followed by the contingent from the Festak,

formed in the rear of the coffin. Arrived at the grave, the

coffin was placed on the ground, the ropes for lowering it

to the bottom were adjusted, and finally it was gently and

reverently deposited in its last resting-place, the skipper

meanwhile reading impressively those solemn sentences

beginning with " Man that is bom of a woman hath but a

short time to live," &c. A slight pause was made at the

conclusion of these passages, and Smellie, deeply affected,

stepped forward and threw the first earth upon the body of

his dear friend and brother officer, after which the service

again proceeded and soon came to an end. The firing party

of marines next formed on each side of the grave and

rendered the last honours to the dead; the grave was fiUed

in, a wooden cross being temporarily planted at its head, and

we turned sorrowfully away, entered the boats, and with the

ensigns now hoisted to the staff-heads, returned to the ship

reahzing /w%, perhaps for the first time, the fact that we

had lost for ever a genial, brave, devoted, and sympathetic

friend. " In the midst of life we are in death." Never did

I so thoroughly realize the absolute literal truth of this as

whilst sitting in the gig, silently struggling with my feelings,

on our return from poor Austin's funeral. We had just laid

him in his lonely grave on a foreign shore, far away from all

that he held dearest and best on earth, in a spot consecrated

only by the solemn service which had just been performed

over it, a spot which could never be watered by a mother's

SOMBRE REFLECTIONS. 275

or a sister's tears, where his last resting-place would be at
the mercy of the stranger and the savage, and where in the
course of a very few years it would only too probably be
obliterated beyond all possibility of recognition. Yet twenty-
four short hours ago he was alive and well, rejoicing in the
strength of his lusty manhood, and with, apparently, the
promise of many years of life before him, never suspecting,
as he went dovra over the ship's side, with a cheery smile
and a reassuring nod to me, that he was going thus gaily to
meet treachery and death. Poor Austin I I struggled suc-
cessfully with my feelings whilst the eyes of others were
upon me, but I am not ashamed to admit that I wept long
and bitterly that night when I reflected in privacy upon his
untimely and cruel fate. Nor am I afihamed to acknowledge
that I then also prayed, more earnestly perhaps than I had
ever prayed before, that I might be taught so to number my
days that I might incline mine heart unto that truest of
all wisdom, the wisdom which teaches us how to live in such
a way that death may never find us unprepared-

On passing the Virginia it was seen that her new fore-yard
was slung and rigged, the sail bent, and the other repairs
completed, so that she was once more ready for sea. Smellie
shortly afterwards shifted his traps over into her, returning
to the Daphne to dine with Captain Vernon and to receive
his final instructions.

These given, Mr. Armitage and I were summoned to the
cabin; and upon our arrival there, the skipper, after speak-
ing regretfully upon the loss which the ship and all hands,
himself especially, as he said, had sustained through the
first lieutenant's death, informed us that Mr. Smellie having
received charge of the prize to deliver over to the admiral
of the station with an earnest recommendation that she
should be turned over to the navy and given to Smellie with

276 AN UNEXPECTED HONOUR.

the rank of commander, it now became necessary to appoint
an acting first lieutenant to the Daphne. A few words of
commendation to Armitage then followed, and he was pre-
sented with an acting order.

The skipper then turned to me.

" It next becomes necessary to appoint an acting second
lieutenant," said he, " and after giving the subject my most
serious attention, I have determined, Hawkesley, to appoint
ym. Nay, no thanks, young gentleman; you will discover
before many hours have passed over your head that you
have very little to be thankful for. You will exchange your
present easy and irresponsible position for one of very grave
and unceasing responsibility; the safety of the ship and of
all hands will daily, during your watch, be confided to your
care, and many other onerous duties will devolve upon you,
every one of which will demand your most unceasing atten-
tion and your utmost skill in their proper discharge. Hence-
forward you will have time to think of nothing but duty,
duty must wholly engage your thoughts by day, ay, and
your very dreams by night; it is no post of mere empty
honour which I am about to confer upon you. But, as I once
before remarked to you, I have had my eye upon you ever
since you came on board the ship, and, young as you are,
and short as has been your term of probation, I hart^e suffi-
cient confidence in you to believe that you will do credit to

my judgment. I presume, of course, that it is unnecessary
to point out to you that this appointment can be only tem-
porary; the Virginia will doubtless bring back with her from
Sierra Leone officers of the admiral's appointment to fill
the posts of second and third lieutenant; but if, as I have
no doubt, you discharge your temporary duties with any-
thing like the ability I anticipate, your promotion, upon the
completion of your time, will be sure and rapid."

PROMOTION. 277

So sa3ri[ng, the skipper extended his hand to me and gave
mine a hearty shake, Smellie and Armitage following his
example and offering me their congratulations.

It being, by this time, rather late, Smellie shortly after-
wards rose, and bidding adieu at the gangway to his old
shipmates, repaired on board his new command, which was
under orders to sail next morning at daybreak.

As for me, I went off to the midshipmen's berth, which,
through Keene, Woods, and Williams, the master*s mate,
being drafted on board the Virginia^ was now almost empty,
and shifted my few traps forthwith into the cabin recently
vacated by Smellie, scarcely knowing meanwhile whether I
was standing upon my head or my heels.

CHAPTER XVIIL

THK CUTTERS BESET.

N the following morning Captain Dubosc and
Lieutenant Le Breton (we now discovered
that the VirginioJs people had assumed the
names of the officers of the Vestale in addition
to appropriating the name of the ship) came on board the
Daphtie to breakfast; Annitage and old Mildmay being in-
vited to meet them.

The meal appeared to be a protracted one, for it was served
punctually at eight o'clock and the participants did not
appear on deck until half-past ten. The secret, however,
soon came out, for when they did at length put in an
appearance it became perfectly evident, from sundry dis-
jointed remarks which passed between them, that something
of importance was on the tapis. The Frenchmen's gig was
awaiting them, and they soon passed down over the side,
Captain Dubosc's last words being:

"Well, then, mon ami, it is all settled, and our contingent
shall be ready for a start punctually at two o'clock Au
revoir"

I was not left long in ignorance of the precise nature of
the arrangement which had just been concluded, for as soon
as the French gig was fairly away from our vessel's side,
Captain Vernon beckoned me to him and said :

278

IMPORTANT INFORMATION, 279

"Just step down below with me, Hawkesley; I want to
have a talk with you."

I followed him down into his cabin, whereupon he directed
me to be seated, drew a chair up to the table for himself,
and laying his hand upon a bundle of papers, said :

"These are some of the papers which I discovered the
night before last on board the Virginia; and as I anticipated
would be the case, they contain several items of exceedingly
important information. One of these items has reference to
the existence, on an island some forty miles up the river, of
an immense slave d6p6t, as also of a slave hulk, in both of
which, if the information here given happens to be reliable,
a large number of slaves are at this moment awaiting em-
barkation. The papers seem also to imply that there is a
very snug anchorage close to this island, with a navigable
channel leading right up to it.

"Now I am exceedingly anxious, for many reasons, to test
the truth of this information, and I have therefore arranged
with Captain Dubosc to send a joint expedition up the river
to survey the alleged channel, to destroy the d^pdt and the
hulk, if such are found to exist, and to free any slaves which
may happen to be therein.

"From certain remarks to be found here and there in
these documents, I infer that the d6p6t and hulk are in
charge of white men, but it is, unfortunately, nowhere stated
how many these white men number. They cannot, however,
muster very strongly there; they probably do not number
above a dozen altogether; the expedition, therefore, will only
be a small one, consisting only of our own cutter and that
of the Festale. I have determined to give the command of
our people to Mr. Mildmay, he being the most experienced
officer at surveying now remaining to us, with you to lend
a hand. The French boat will be under the command of

280 A SURVEYING EXPEDITION.

M. St. Croix, the second lieutenant of the Vestale; and both
boats, though of course under independent commands, will
act in concert. This paper," placing one before me, "is,
as you will perceive, a sketch-chart of the river, and the
two crosses in red ink indicate the positions of the d6p6t and
the hulk. It differs somewhat, you will notice, from the
admiralty chart," to which he pointed as he spoke, " and it
will really be a great point to ascertain which, if either, of
the two is correct. To an individual unacquainted with the
river, the channel there on the larboard hand going up
would naturally suggest itself as the preferable one, being so
much wider than the other, but the soundings marked on
this sketch go to show that the water is much deeper in the
south channel. This is one of the points I want cleared up.
And another is the bearings and compass courses along the
deepest water in each reach of the channel, I have already
explained all this to Mildmay of course; but I thought
I would also explain it to you, because, knowing exactly
what I want, you will be able to render more intelligent
assistance than would be possible were you working in the
dark. There is only one thing more. You are a tolerably
good hand with your pencil, I know; do you think you
could make an exact copy of this sketch-chart to take with
you, so as to leave the original behind with me?"

I assured the skipper that I both could and would, where-
upon he furnished me with the necessary materials and left
me in solitude to perform my task, going on deck himself
to superintend the preparations for our trip.

The sketch chart found among the papers on board the
Virginia was only a small affair, drawn upon a sheet of
foolscap paper ; but it was so carefully executed that I felt
sure it must be the work of an experienced hand, and con-
sequently, in all probability, perfectly accurate. My copy,

THE EXPEBITION STARXa 281

therefore, to be of any value at all, would have to be, not a
free-hand happy-go-lucky sketch, but an absolute faosimile.
There was a great deal of work in it, and not much time
wherein to do it; so, after a little thought, I hit upon
the plan of fastening the outspread original with wafers to
the glass of one of the stem windows, and wafering a thin
sheet of paper over it. The strong daylight reflected up
from the surface of the water through the glass rendered
the two sheets of paper sufficiently transparent to enable
me to see every line and mark of the original with tolerable
clearness through the sheet upon which I proposed to make
my copy; and with the aid of a fine-pointed pencil I soon
had it complete, going over it afterwards with pen and ink
to make it indelible.

Mildmay and I lunched with the skipper that day, and
during the course of the meal we received our final instruc-
tions, which were, however, little more than a recapitulation
of those given me in the morning.

The meal over, the cutter's crew were paraded, fully
armed, in the waist of the ship ; their ammunition was served
out to them, and they were ordered down into the boat,
which lay alongside with a 12-pounder carronade in her
bows, together with the necessary powder and shot for the
same, spare ammunition for the men's muskets, four days'
provisions and water, and, in fact, every necessary for the
successful carrying out of the undertaking upon which we
were bound. The skipper then shook hands with Mildmay
and me, wishing us prosperity and success ; we went down
over the side into the boat, and the little expedition started.
Three minutes later we were joined by M. St. Croix in the
Festale^s cutter, when the canvas was set in both boats, the
wind, though dead in our teeth for the passage up the river,
being free enough to carry us as far as Boolambemba Point.

282 AN OMINOUS INCIDENT.

For the remainder of that day and up to about 4 P.M. on
the day following, the expedition progressed without inci-
dent of any kind worth mentioning. Our progress was
steady but slow, Mildmay's whole energies being devoted to
the making of a thoroughly satisfactory and trustworthy
survey of the river channel up which we were passing; and
in the accomplishment of this duty I was pleased to find
that the studies I had been diligently pursuing under Mr.
Smellie's auspices enabled me to render him substantial
assistance. St Croix, who kept about a quarter of a mile in
our wake, was making a perfectly independent survey, which
he compared with ours at the conclusion of each day's work.

The first incident of note, though we attached no impor-
tance whatever to it at the moment, occurred about four
o'clock in the afternoon on the day following our departure
from Banana Creek, and it consisted merely in the fact that

a large native canoe passed us upward bound, without its
occupants bestowing upon us any notice whatever. We had
previously encountered several canoes — small craft canying
from two to half-a-dozen natives — and the occupants of
these, who seemed to be engaged for the most part in fishing,
had invariably greeted us with vociferous ejaculations, which,
from the hearty laughter immediately following them, were
doubtless choice examples of Congoese wit But the par-
ticular canoe now in question swept past us without a sound.

She was a large, well-shaped craft, propelled by twenty-four
paddles, and she dashed ahead of us as if we had been at

anchor, her occupants — and especially four individuals who
sat in the stern-sheets, or at all events where the stem-sheets
ought to be, and who, from their display of feathers, bead
necklaces, and leopard -skin robes, must have been very big-
wigs indeed — looking straight ahead of them and vouch-
safing not the faintest indication that they were conscious

NATIVE HOSTILITY. 283

of our presence. This absurd assumption of dignity greatly
tickled us at the moment, we attributing it entirely to the
existence in the native mind of a profound conviction of
their own immeasurable superiority; but subsequent events
tended to give another and a more sinister aspect to the
incident.

We pressed diligently on with our work until six o'clock,
at which time we found ourselves abreast a small native
village. Here Mildmay proposed to effect a landing, both
for the purpose of procuring some fruit and also to satisfy
his very natural curiosity to see what a native village was
like. But on pulling in toward the bank the natives as-
sembled, making such unmistakable warlike demonstrations
that we deemed it advisable to abandon our purpose. We
could, of course, have easily dispersed the hostile blacks had
we been so disposed; and St. Croix, who was a particularly
high-spirited, fiery-tempered young fellow, strongly advo-
cated our doing so. But Captain Vernon's orders to us to
avoid all collision with the natives had been most stringent,
and old Mildmay was far too experienced and seasoned a
hand to engage in an affray for the mere "fun" of the thing.
He therefore sturdily refused to aid or abet St. Croix in any
such unrighteous undertaking; and we passed the night
instead upon a small islet whereon there was nothing more
formidable than a few water-fowl and a flock of green par-
rots to dispute our landing.

We had not been at work above an hour or so on the
following morning before we had reason to suspect that
some at least of the unusual number of canoes around us
were suspiciously watching our movements, if not actually
following us up the river. This, however, for the time
being caused us little or no uneasiness, as we felt assured
that, should their attentions become inconveniently obtro-

284 A GREAT GATHERING OF CANOES.

tive, a bullet or two, or failing that, a round shot from our
carronade, fired over their heads, would promptly send
them to the right-about. Later on in the day, however, I
must confess that I for one began to experience a shght
qualm of anxiety as I noticed the steadily increasing number
of canoes, some of them carrying as many as ten or a dozen
men, in our vicinity. They were all ostensibly engaged in
fishing, it is true ; but that this was only a pretence, or that
they were meeting with unusually bad luck, was evident
from the small number of fish captured. Still, up to noon,
though the behaviour of the natives had been steadily grow-
ing more suspicious and unsatisfactory, no actual hostile
demonstration had been made; and we landed upon a small
bare, sandy islet to cook and despatch our dinner.

During all this time we had, of course, been carefully
checking the chart of the river copied by me from the one
found on board the Virginia^ and comparing it with our
own survey; the general result being to prove that it was
very fairly accurate, quite sufificiently so at least to serve
as a safe guide to any vessel of light draught, say up to
ten feet or so, making for the island on which was the
alleged slave dep6t. This chart told us that we had now
arrived within a distance of some six miles of the island in
question, a statement verified to some extent by the fact
that on an island situate at about that distance from us we
could make out, with the aid of our glasses, an object which
might very well pass for a large building of some kind.
The river channel between us and this island was entirely
free of visible obstructions, and we therefore hoped that, by
a little extra exertion, we might succeed in completing our
survey right up to the island, and gaining possession of it

and the hulk — thus achieving the full object of the expe-
dition — before nightfall

THE ATTACK. 285

By the time that we were ready to make a start once
more, however, the canoes had mustered in such numbers
that even old Mildmay, who had hitherto poo-poohed my
suggestions as to the possibility of a contemplated attack,
began to look serious, and at last actually went the length
of acknowledging that perhaps there might be mischief
brewing after all. St. Croix, however, treated the matter
^g^t^y» roundly asserting that the extraordinary gathering
was due to nothing more serious than the native curiosity
to behold the unwonted sight of a white man, and to watch
our mysterious operations. There was undoubtedly a cer-
tain degree of probability about this suggestion, and most
imfortunately we gave to it a larger share of credence
than the event justified, shoving off from our sand-bank
and resuming our surveying operations without first adopt-
ing those precautionary measures which prudence obviously
dictated.

At two o'clock P.Bt, by which time we had passed over
about three of the six miles which lay between the sand-
bank and our supposed goal, the French boat being at the
time about half a mile astern of us, a loud shouting arose
from one of the largest canoes in the flotilla, her paddles
were suddenly elevated in the air, and the whole fleet with
one accord rapidly closed in between us and the Frenchmen,
completely cutting us ofi* the one from the other.

"Hillo!" exclaimed Mildmay, "what's the meaning of
thisi Just clap a round shot into the carronade there, you
Tom, and pitch it well over the heads of those black rascals.
Pull port, back starboard, and slue the boat round with her
nose toward them. That's your sort ! Now, Tom, are you
ready there, for'ardl Then well elevate the muzzle and
stand by to fire when I give the word Hold water, star-
board oars, and port oars pull a stroke; we're pointing

286 NOT TO BE FRIGHTENED.

straight for the Frenchmen just now. Well of all; now
we're clear, and no chance of hitting our friends. Fire!"

The carronade rang out its report from the bows of the
boat, and the shot went screaming away far over the heads
of those in the canoes, the Frenchmen firing in like manner
at almost the same moment. A yell of dismay immediately
arose from the canoes, and half a dozen of those nearest us
dashed their paddles into the water and began paddling
precipitately away. Their panic, however, was only momen-
tary ; they appeared to have seen and heard artillery before,
and as soon as they saw that no damage had been done
they arrested their flight, and a contingent of canoes, num-
bering quite a hundred, began cautiously to advance toward
us, spreading out on our right and left in a manner which
showed that they meditated an attempt to surround us.

" Give 'em another pill, Tom, and slap it right into the
thick of 'em this time; we mustn't let 'em surround us at
no price," exclaimed old Mildmay. "Turn round on your
thwarts, lads, and pull the boat gently up stream, starn first,
so's to keep our bull-dog for'ard there facing 'em. Now,
as soon as you're ready there with the gun let 'em have it"
Once again the carronade spoke out, and this time its
voice conveyed a death-message to some of the belligerent
blacks, the shot striking one of the canoes fair in the stem,
knocking her into match-wood, and killing or maiming
several of her occupants. We naturally expected that this
severe lesson would have the effect of sending our trouble"
some neighbours to the right-about en massey but to our
surprise and discomfiture this was by no means the case; on
the contrary, it appeared to have thoroughly aroused their
most savage instincts, and with a loud shout they dashed
their paddles into the water and advanced menacingly to-
ward us.

"TRY 'em with grapr" 287

"Load your muskets, ladsl" exclaimed Mildmay, as, with
eyes gleaming and nostrils dilated, the old war-horse snuffed
the approaching battle; "load your muskets, and then take
to your oars again and back her steadily up stream. Sharp's
the word and quick's the action; if those rascals *outflank' us
— as the sodgers call it — we may say * good-bye' to old Eng-
land. Mr. Hawkesley, d*ye think you can pitch a bullet
into that long chap that's creeping up there on our larboard
beam ? Tm about to try my hand and see if I can't stop the
gallop of this fellow who's in such a tremendous hurry away
here to the nor'ard of us. Take good aim, now; we
haven't a single bullet that we can afford to throw away.
Ah! that's well done," as I bowled over the individual who
was handling the steering paddle in the canoe indicated to
me. "Now let's see what an old man can do." He raised
his piece to his shoulder, took a long steady aim, and fired.

A white spot instantly appeared on the side of the canoe;
and one of its occupants sprang convulsively to his feet and
fell headlong into the river, nearly capsizing the frail craft
as he did so.

This certainly checked the impetuosity of the two parti-
cular canoes, the occupants of which had suffered from our
fire; but the others only pressed forward with increased
eagerness.

"Hang it I" exclaimed the master pettishly, "I don't
want to do it, but I shall have to give 'em a dose of grape
yet. Why won't the stupid donkeys take a hint ? And why,
in the name of fortune, should they want to interfere with
us at all ] Try 'em with grape this time, Tom; let's see what
they think of *the fruit of the vine.'"

Meanwhile the French boat had also become actively
engaged, the report of her carronade ringing out much more
frequently than our own, whilst rattling volleys of musketry

288 OUR RETREAT IS CUT OFF.

breezed up from her at brief intervals; but from the steadily
decreasing sharpness of the reports it soon became evident,
somewhat, I must confess, to our dismay, that she was
retiring. It might, of course, be merely a strategic move-
ment on St. Croix^s part; but if, on the other hand, he hap-
pened to be situated like ourselves, with all his work cut
out to defend himself, and a way open to him down stream
only, as we had a clear road before us up stream only, then
indeed matters were beginning to look extremely serious for
us. So far as he was concerned, if he could only avoid
being surrounded he was comparatively safe; the way would
be open for his retreat, and a fine breeze happening to be
blowing down the river, he could, with the aid of his sails
easily outpace the canoes. But with us the matter was very
different; our retreat was cut off, and unless we could beat
off the canoes the only course open to us seemed to be that
of taking to dry land, intrenching ourselves as best we
might, and patiently waiting until assistance should arrive.
Meanwhile, in accordance with Mildma/s instructions,
our carronade had been loaded with grape, and Tom, taking
steady aim, applied the match to his piece. A flash, a roar,
a volume of smoke, and away went the grape lashing up the
surface of the water fair in line with a thick cluster of canoes,
through which the iron shower next moment tore with dis-
astrous effect. One canoe was literally rent to pieces, every
one of its occupants, so far as we could see, being killed ; two
other canoes, one on each side of the first, were so seriously
damaged that they immediately swamped, leaving their
occupants squattering in the water like so many lame ducks;
and three or four others were hit, with serious casualties to
their crews. This effectually checked the advance of the
blacks for a few minutes, during which we made good use of
our oars in urging the boat, still stem foremost, in the direc-

A RACE FOR LIFE. 289

tion of the island to which we were bound, and upon which
we were now able to distinctly make out the shape of a huge
wooden barrack-like structure.

As we pressed on toward the island we became cognisant
of the fact that its occupants were in a great state of con-
fusion, and a few minutes later we saw a long procession of
blacks, who, from their constrained movements, were appa-
rently manacled, emerge from the barrack and move off
toward the opposite side of the island. "We were enabled,
with the aid of our glasses, to detect on the island the pre-
sence of some ten or a dozen white men, and these indi-
viduals, carrying each a musket in one hand and a whip in
the other, seemed to be very freely using the latter to ex-
pedite the movements of the unhappy blacks.

We were, however, allowed but scanty time in which to
take note of these matters, for the native canoes soon began
to press forward upon us once more, evidently with the fixed
determination to surround us if possible, and thus prevent
our approach to the island. We knew that if this object were
once accomplished our doom was certain, for in such a case,
fight as desperately as we might, we must soon be over-
powered by sheer force of numbers, and it consequently soon
became, so far as we were concerned, an absolute race for life.

On swept the boat, our men pulling her through the water,
though still stem foremost, at a pace such as she had rarely
travelled before, and on crowded the canoes after us, spread
out athwart the stream in the form of a crescent. Luckily
for us, the channel at this point was not very wide, and by
keeping in the middle of it we were able to throw a musket-
shot clear across to either side, otherwise we should soon
have found ourselves in a parlous case. The greater number
of the canoes obstinately maintained a position in mid-stream
ahead of us, thus presenting an insuperable barrier to our

(290) T

290 PERTINACITY OF THE NATIVES.

retreat down stream, whilst those on the outer wings to port
and starboard of us hugged the bank of the stream, two or
three of the larger craft making a big spurt ahead of the
others now and then in an endeavour to outflank us, which
endeavour, however, a well-directed volley of musketry
always sufficed to check for the time being.

At length we reached a point where the stream widened
out considerably, enabling the canoes on each side to spread
out sufficiently far to be beyond musket-shot, and we saw
that upon the question whether we or the canoes passed
this point first, hinged our fate. The natives, though
evidently entertaining a wholesome dread of our carronade,
were by no means so dismayed by the execution it wrought
among them as we had hoped they would be, and indeed
exhibited a decidedly growing disposition to close upon us
in spite of our fire; in fact, our position was at every

moment growing more critical.

Very fortunately for us we happened to have a few
roimds of canister in the boat, and Mildmay now resolved
to try the efiFect of these upon the pertinacious natives.
A charge of grape with one of canister on the top of it, was
accordingly rammed home and sent fljdng into the thickest
of the crowd of canoes immediately ahead of us, immediately
succeeded by a like dose to the right and left wings of the
flotilla. The canoes were just at about the right distance to
give these murderous discharges their utmost possible effect,
and the carnage among the thickly-crowded craft was simply
indescribable. The effect was not only to check their
advance effectually, but to actually put them to flight, and
whilst a similar charge was again rammed home by those in
charge of the gun the rest of the men slued the boat round
on her centre, and with a loud cheer gave way at top speed
for the island.

BETWEEN TWO ENEMIES. 291

We were within a hundred yards of the low shingly beach
when, to our astonishment, the roar of artillery from the
island greeted our ears, and at the same instant half a dozen
round shot came flying about our ears. Fortunately no
damage was done beyond the smashing of a couple of oars
and the incontinent precipitation backwards into the bottom
of the boat of the pullers thereof, amidst the uproarious
laughter of all hands, and before these unfortunates had
fairly picked themselves up, the cutter was sent surging half
her length high and dry up on the beach, the carronade
belched forth its contents, and out we jumped, master and
man, and charged up to the sod battery which had fired
upon us. We were greeted with a volley of musketry, which,
however, never stopped us in our rush a single instant, and
as we clambered in at one side we had the satisfaction of
seeing the rascally Spaniards go flying out at the other,
whence they made short miles of it to a boat which lay
awaiting them on the beach at the opposite side of the
island, some two or three hundred yards away. We sent a
few ineffectual flying shots after them, but attempted no
pursuit, as we now found ourselves to some extent masters
of the situation; in so far, that is to say, that we found the
battery admirably adapted as a place wherein to make a
stand until such time as we could see our way clear to once
more take offensive measures. As for the Spaniards, they
made good their retreat to a large hulk which lay securely
moored at a distance of some twenty yards from the steeply
sloping eastern shore of the island, and which — floating high
out of the water as she did, with channel-plates removed
and no gear whatever about her sides to aid us in boarding
should we make the attempt — would, I foresaw, prove rather
a hard nut for us to crack.
Our footing thus made good upon the island and in the

292 OUT OF THE FRYING-PAN INTO THE FIRE.

battery, we had a moment or two in which to look about us,
and the first discovery made was that poor old Mildmay,
the master, had been wounded, and was lying helpless, face
downwards on the sward outside the battery. The next was,
that the natives had recovered from their panic and were
actually once more advancing against us, spreading out on
all sides so as to completely encircle the island.

The first object demanding our attention was, of course,
the master. Directing the man Tom, our chief artilleryman,
to look into the state of the guns belonging to the battery,
and to load them afresh, I called a couple of men and took
them with me to bring in the master. The poor old fellow
was lying upon the grass face downwards, and when we
gently raised him it became apparent that he had been
bleeding rather profusely at the mouth. He was senseless
and ghastly pale, and for the moment I feared he was dead.
A low moan, however, as the men began to move with him,
gave us the assurance that life was not quite extinct, and as
gently as we could we lifted him over the low earth parapet,
and laid him down under its shelter in comparative safety.

The command of the party now devolved upon me, and a
very serious responsibility under the circumstances I found
it. Here we were cooped up in a small sod battery, wholly
ineffectual to resist a determined assault; with a perfect
cloud of hostile natives hovering about us apparently deter-
mined to be satisfied with nothing short of our absolute
extermination; with a dozen vindictive Spaniards on board
the hulk close at hand, doubtless as anxious as the natives to
sweep us from the face of the earth ; the French boat having
vanished from the scene; and — though there was drinkable
water in abundance in the river so long as we might be able
to get at it — loith only one day^s provisions left.

CHAPTER XIX.

THE SITUATION BECOMES DESPERATE.

(I

ELL, Tom," said I, "what about the guns? —
are they loaded]"

"Yes, sir, they is," answered Tom; "and
a most fort'nate circumstance it were that
you ordered them guns to be loaded when you did, other-
wise we should have been sent sky-high by this time."
"Ah, indeed! how is that?"

"Why, you see, sir, when I was ordered to load the guns
I nat'rally looks round for the ammunition for to do it
with; and though this is the first time as IVe ever found
myself aboard a regular genewine land-battery, it didn't take
me long for to make up my mind that if there was any
ammunition anywheres aboard the thing, it must be in one
of them there comer lockers. So I goes away and tries to
open the door, which in course I finds locked. It didn't take
Ned and me mor^n a jiffy, hows'ever, to prise off the lock;
and when I looked in, there sure enough was the powder —

a goodish quantity — all made up into cartridges, and there,
too, I sees the black stump of a fuze with a red spark on
the end fizzing and smoking away — a good un. I knowed
what that meant in a second, Mr. Hawkesley; so I whips
out my knife, sings out to Ned to prise open the other two
doors, and cuts off" the live end of the fuze at once, and just

293

294 A VERY NARROW ESCAPE.

in time. There wam't more nor an inch of it left. And
when we got the other two doors open it were just the same,
sir — half a minute more *d ha' done for the lot of us, sir."

" But you have taken care to see that the magazines are
now all right? — that there are no more live fuzes in them?"
I exclaimed in considerable alarm.

"Ay, ay, sir; never fear for me," answered Tom with a
quiet grin. "They are safe enough now, sir; we gave 'em
a good overhaul before doing anything else, sir."

"Thank you, Tom," I replied; "you have rendered a
most important service, which, if I live to get out of this
scrape, I will not fail to report to Captain Vernon. But I
should like to take a squint into these magazines myself."

" Certingly, sir, by all means," returned Tom; and lead-
ing the way to the magazines he pointed out the manner
in which the fuzes had been placed, and graphically re-
described the manner in which a terrible catastrophe had
been averted.

We had, indeed, had a frightfully narrow escape from
destruction; for the magazines, of which there were three,
one in each angle of the triangular-shaped battery, contained
about one hundred cartridges each — quite sufficient to have
completely destroyed the battery and all in it.

Having satisfied myself that all was safe here, I at once
turned my attention to the next most pressing business of
the moment, which was to secure the muskets, ammunition,
provisions, and water in the cutter, and to make the craft
herself as safe as possible. This was hkely to prove a some-
what hazardous task, as the canoes were now close to the
beach and pressing rapidly in on all sides. I felt greatly
averse to further slaughter; but in this case I scarcely saw
how it was to be averted, the natives being so pertinacious
in their attacks. It was quite evident that we must either

BESET I 295

kill or be killed. I therefore most reluctantly gave the
order for the discharge of the six nine-pounders which the
battery mounted right into the thickest of the crowd — the
men to immediately afterwards rush for the boat, secure
their muskets and ammunition, and at once return to the
battery. This was done; and without pausing an instant
to note the effect away we all went down to the boat, seized
as much as we could conveniently carry, and immediately
scampered back again. The whole operation did not occupy
more than a couple of minutes ; and I had the satisfaction
of seeing all hands scramble back into the battery before the
natives had recovered from the check of our last discharge.
So far so good; but a great many things still remained in
the boat, especially the provisions and water, which it was
absolutely necessary that we should secure; so I called for
volunteers to accompany me on a second trip to the cutter.

All hands proving equally willing to go, I picked half-a-
dozen, leaving the remainder in the battery to cover us with
their muskets.

Leaping the low sod parapet of the battery we once more
made a dash for the boat; and the natives, catching sight
of us, instantly raised a terrific yell and came paddling
toward us at top speed.

"Out with your cutlasses, men!" I exclaimed; *'we shall

have to fight our way back this time, I believe. Now each
man seize as much as he can carry in one hand, and keep

close together. Now are you all ready ? Then march. Ah I
capital!" as the lads in the battery bowled over three or
four blacks who had landed and were rushing down upon
us, " Now run for it/'[

Away we went, helter-skelter, and once more got safely
within the compass of our sheltering walls, though not until
I — who, of course, had to be last in seeking cover — ^had

296 "Wfi MIGHT AS WELL DIE FIGHTING."

been overtaken and surrounded by some half-a-dozen furi-
ous blacks, two of whom I succeeded in disabling with my
sword, whilst the remaining four were promptly placed hors-
dercomhai by the muskets of those who were covering our

retreat

Taking fresh courage, perhaps, at our limited number,
and possibly also feeling more at home in a fight on dry
land than when in their canoes, the natives now closed in
upon us on all sides, effecting a landing on the island and
pressing forward, with loud cries and much brandishing of
spears, to attack the battery. This battery, it may be well
to explain, was a small equilateral triangular affair built of
sods, and measuring about thirty-five feet on each of its
sides. It mounted six nine -pounder brass guns, two to each
side ; and its walls ro%e to a height of about seven feet above
the ground outside, a ledge about three feet wide on the
inside being raised some three feet all round the interior
of the walls, thus enabling those on the inside to fire over
the low parapet. The guns were mounted on ordinary ship
carriages and were unprovided with tackles, being placed
upon wooden platforms slightly sloping forward, so that
when loaded they could be easily run out by hand, the
recoil of the discharge sending them back up the slight
slope into loading position. The three angles of the battery
were, as has already been intimated, occupied by the magar
zines.

The natives advanced boldly to the attack, and for the
moment I must confess that I felt almost dismayed as I
looked around me and got a clear idea of their overwhelm-
ing numbers. However, there was no escape — we were
completely hemmed in on every side ; and if we were to die
I thought we might as well die fighting; so, waiting until
they were within a f«w yards only of the walls, I gave the

A DESPERATE STRUGGLE. 297

order to fire, and the report of the six nine-pounders rang
sharply out upon the evening air. Each man then seized
his loaded musket, saw that his naked cutlass was ready to
his hand, and waited breathlessly for the inevitable rush.

The round shot ploughed six well-defined lanes through
the approaching phalanx; but our persevering foes had ap-
parently become accustomed to the effects of artillery fire by
this time, seeming to regard it as a disagreeable concomitant
to the struggle which mttst be faced, but which, after all, was
not so very formidable. They had already acquired the
knowledge that the guns, once fired, were perfectly harm-
less until they could be reloaded, and that the operation of
reloading required a certain amount of time. The moment,
therefore, that they received our fire they charged down
upon the battery, evidently feeling that the worst was over
and that it now amoimted to no more than an ordinary
hand-to-hand fight

"Here they come, lads, with a vengeance!" I exclaimed.
"Take your muskets and aim low — make every bullet do
double or treble duty if you can. Keep cool, and be careful
not to throw a single shot away."

This was excellent advice to give, especially as the giver
thereof needed it perhaps more than any of those around
him; but it was spoken with a calm and steady voice, and
the lads responded to it with a hearty and inspiring cheer.
They levelled their muskets carefully and steadily over the
top of the sod parapet, selecting a particular mark and firing
only when they felt sure of their aim, though at the moment
a perfect cloud of spears came flying into the battery. The
next instant our foes were upon us, and then commenced a
furious, breathless, desperate hand-to-hand fight which lasted
fully ten minutes — the blacks leaping upward or assisting
each other in their efforts to surmount the parapet, and we

298 THE BARRACK ON FIRK.

cutting and slashing right and left without a moment's
breathing space in an equally determined effort to keep
them out.

During the very thick of the fight light thin jets of smoke
were seen to issue from the joints and crevices in the wooden
walls of the huge barrack-like structure to windward of us,
the jets rapidly growing in numbers and volume and being
speedily succeeded by thin arrowy tongues of flame which
shot into view for a moment, disappeared, and then appeared
again, darting along the surface of the wood and uniting
with others, until the entire building became completely
enveloped in the flames, which no doubt the Spaniards had
kindled on their retreat, in order to make assurance doubly
sure, as it were, and in the event of their little scheme for
the destruction of the battery miscarrying, to deprive us of
what would have afforded us an excellent retreat in which
to have withstood a siege.

The smoke, thick, pungent, and suffocating, from the tar
and pitch with which the roof and sides of the building had
been from time to time liberally coated, drifted down
directly upon us in such dense volumes that it was difficult
to see an arm's-length ahead, making the act of breathing
next to an impossibility, and causing our eyes to stream with
water, whilst the heat soon became almost insupportable.
Our enemies, however, did not seem to be in the slightest
degree incommoded either by the heat or the smoke, but,
perceiving how greatly it embarrassed us, pressed forward
more eagerly than ever to the attack. "We, however, were
fighting for our lives, and it is astonishing how much men
can do under such circumstances. We actually succeeded
in keeping the foe outside our three walls, and finally, after
a prolonged effort which inspired us with a most profound
sense of their individual intrepidity, they retired, carrying

A TEMPORARY RESPITE. 299

off their dead and wounded with them. They made a most
daring attempt to cany off the cutter also with them in their
retreat, but fortunately she was secured by a chain attached
to the anchor, the latter being firmly embedded in the soil
among the long grass; and the idea of pulling it up not
seeming to present itself to any of them, they were com-
pelled to abandon the attempt, owing to the galling mus-
ketry fire which we maintained upon them.

Exhausted, breathless, with our lips black with powder
from the bitten ends of the cartridges, our skins begrimed
with smoke, and with the perspiration streaming down our
bodies, we now had a moment's breathing-space to look
about us. The ground inside the battery literally bristled
with the spears which had been launched at us, but, mar-
vellous to relate, only three of our number had been hurt
in the recent scuffle, and that but very slightly. The
injuries, such as they were, were promptly attended to, I
at the same time doing what I could for poor old Mildmay;
the guns and muskets were reloaded, and then, placing a
look-out at each angle of the battery, we sank down upon
the ground and snatched such a hasty meal as was possible
under the circumstances.

I embraced the opportunity afforded by this interval of
tranquillity to point out to my small command the necessity
for placing them upon a short allowance of food. I re-
minded them that, at the conclusion of the meal which we
were then discussing, only one clear day's rations would
remain to us, and that, though the French boat had doubt-
less made good her escape down the river — and, in that
case, would probably reach the creek early enough that same
evening to make Captain Vernon acquainted with our criti-
cal situation — we could scarcely reckon upon the appearance
of a relief expedition imder twenty-four hours from the time

300 PREPARING FOR A SIEGE.

of speaking. I added that, further, it would be only wise
to allow another twenty-four hours for possible unforeseen
delays, rendering it not improbable that we should have to
pass forty-eight hours in our present position, and that I had
therefore decided, for these prudential reasons, that it would
be necessary to place the party for that period on half rations.
The men accepted this decision of mine with the utmost
readiness, and, in fact, seemed agreeably surprised to find
that I considered it likely we should be rescued in so short
a time.

By the time that we had concluded our hasty meal the
barrack — which after all, and notwithstanding its size, was
a mere wooden shell of a place — had become a shapeless
heap of smouldering ruins, and we were consequently to a
great extent relieved of the annoyance from the heat and
smoke. Now that the place was actually destroyed I was
glad rather than otherwise, for standing as it did so close
to the battery, it would, had it remained in existence, have
afforded splendid "cover" for the enemy, behind which they
would have been enabled to steal close up to us unobserved,
necessitating a most unremitting watch, in spite of which a
sudden unexpected rush might have put them in possession
of the battery. Now, however, nothing in the nature of a
surprise could well occur, for by the destruction of the bar-
rack we were enabled to obtain an uninterrupted view from
the battery all over the diminutive islet upon which it stood.

Half an hour after the conclusion of our meal the wind
dropped away to a flat calm, the sun went down behind the
low range of hills which stretched away to the westward of
us, the landscape assumed a tint of rapidly deepening, all-
pervading gray, the mist- wreaths rose from the bosom of the
whirling river and stealthily gathered about the island like
a beleaguering army of phantoms, and the solemn hush of

WAITING. 301

night waa broken only by the loud chirr of the insects and
the lapping ripple of the rushing stream.

Thicker and thicker gathered the mist about us until at
last it became impossible to see across from one side of the
battery to the other, and then ensued an anxious time in-
deed for all of us, and especially so for me, upon whom rested
the responsibility of directing what steps should be taken
for the safety and preservation of the little force under me.
Would the natives attempt another attack that night under
cover of the fogi I thought it highly probable that they
would, seeing how important an advantage it would be to
them to have the power of arranging their forces and creep
ing up to the very walls of the battery undetected. The
idea indeed occurred to me, that under cover of that same
fog it might be possible for us to take once more to the
cutter, and, letting her drift with the current, in that way
slip unobserved away down the river. But a very few min-
utes* consideration of that scheme sufficed to convince me of
its impracticability. I felt convinced that our enemies were
quite shrewd enough to anticipate and make due provision
for any such attempt on our part. I felt certain, indeed,
that would the fog but lift for a moment, of which, however,
there was not the most remote probability, we should find
ourselves completely hemmed in by a cordon of canoes lying
silently and patiently in waiting for the undertaking of
some such attempt on our part. And, doubtless, all their
arrangements were so framed that, in the event of our
making any such attempt, a simple signal would announce
our whereabouts and enable the entire flotilla to close in at
once upon us; in which case our fate must be certain and
speedy. No, I decided, the risk was altogether too great
and the prospects of success too infinitesimal to justify any
such attempt.

302 DISAGREEABLE ANTICIPATIONS.

Then as to the expected attack. They would probably
wait an hour or two, in the hope of tempting us to venture
afloat; then, failing that, they would cautiously close in
upon the island, land, steal up as close as possible to the bat^
tery, and then endeavour to overpower us with a sudden
rush.

Fortunately it was not absolutely dark, notwithstanding
the fog, there being a moon in her first quarter, which,
though invisible, imparted a certain luminous quality to the
haze; and two or three stars of the first magnitude were
faintly visible in the zenith, so that if any fighting had to
be done we should at least have light enough to distinguish
between friend and foe.

This anticipation of an attempted surprise of course
necessitated the maintenance of a keen and incessant look-
out. I accordingly posted half my small command round
the walls, with instructions to fire unhesitatingly at any
moving object which might come within their range of
vision. But I did not expect an immediate attack; indeed,
the more I weighed the chances of such a thing the less did
they appear to be, and in the meantime we were in urgent
need of water, our stock being almost exhausted. Hitherto
we had refrained from drinking the river water, it having
a peculiar sweetish taste which scarcely suited our palates,
but very soon it would be "river water or nothing," and I
thought that probably this pause of expectation, as it were,
would afford us as good an opportunity as we were likely to
have for refilling our breakers.

I therefore directed the party who were not engaged upon
sentry duty to make ready for a trip to the river with two
of the empty breakers. But before engaging so large a por-
tion of my little force in an expedition which, though of the
briefest, might expose them to great, because unexpected.

QUI VIVE! 303

dangers, I resolved to reconnoitre the ground in person, and
with this object in view slipped noiselessly over the parapet
to the ground outside, and throwing myself at full length
upon the grass, already wet with the heavy dew, commenced
a slow and disagreeable journey to the water side. I in-
tended at first to take a look at the cutter en passant, but a
moment's thought decided me against this course, it being
just possible that I might find a few savages either already
established in possession or keeping a stealthy watch upon
the boat in readiness to pounce upon any incautious white
man who might venture to approach her. I accordingly
set out in a direction about at right angles to that which
would have led me down to the boat, and though this
entailed a considerably longer journey I regarded it as also
a very much safer one.

After a somewhat long and tedious journey — long, that is
to say, in point of time, though the distance traversed was
very short — I reached the water's edge without adventure,
and without having seen the slightest sign indicating the
presence of savages upon the island. I therefore hastened
back to the battery — narrowly escaping being shot by one
of our people, who, in his excessive alertness, fired upon me
without first giving the challenge — and hastily gathering
together the watering-party led them to the brink of the
river and succeeded in securing a couple of breakers of
water, which I considered would be sufficient to last us for
the next twenty-four hours.

Then ensued a long period of tense, incessant, and pain-
ful watching for the enemy, who, I anticipated, might make
their appearance at any moment. But hour after hour
dragged laggingly away, the whole force kept incessantly on
the qui vive to guard against the expected attempt at sur-
prise, the men, wearied out by their excessive exertions of

304 A PAINPUL NIGHT WATCH.

the previous day, needing a continuous, uninterrupted round
of visits from me to prevent their falling asleep upon their

arms.

And thus the long night at length wore itself away ; a
faint glimmer of dawn appeared in the eastern sky, rapidly
brightening, the fog assumed a rosy flush, and presently up
rose the glorious sun, gleaming like a white-hot ball through
the haze, a faint breeze from the westward sprang up, the
mist rolled away like a curtain, and there lay the noble
river aroimd us, sparkling like a sheet of molten silver under
the morning sunbeams. And there, too, lay the flotilla of
canoes, completely hemming us in on every side, thus fully
justifying the caution which had prevented my attempting
to effect an escape down the river during the preceding night.

It was exasperating now to the last degree to know that
our night's rest had been thrown away for nothing, and that,
for all the benefit our vigilance had been to us, all hands
might just as well have lain down and gone to sleep all
night; but repining was of no use; we had naturally ex-
pected an attack and had held ourselves in readiness to
meet it, and the only thing that remained was to snatch
what rest we could during the day. It was a great advan-
tage to be able to once more see our enemies; and as there
seemed to be no immediate disposition on their part to make
a move, I gave orders for breakfast to be got under weigh as
speedily as possible, stationing a look-out at each angle of
the battery during the discussion of the meaL

We had scarcely settled ourselves when the alarm was
given that the canoes were advancing, and, leaping to our
feet, we found that such was indeed the case, the whole
fleet having tripped their anchors and begun paddhng in
Mward the island.

We at once opened fire upon them from the nine-pounders

A PBRTINACIOUS FOE. 305

as a matter of course, but the rascals had not only learned
wisdom but had also evidently very sharp eyes, for at the
moment when the match was about to be applied to the
guns the canoes immediately in the line of fire smartly
swerved from their course and the shot went hissing harm-
lessly past, missing their mark by the merest hair's-breadth.

Before we had time to load again the savages had effected
a landing upon the beach, and then ensued a repetition of
the previous day's fighting, excepting that our antagonists
fought with their energies renewed by a quiet night's rest
and more obstinately than ever, whilst we were weary and
fagged by our long and fruitless watch. During the despe-
rate struggle which consumed the next quarter of an hour
half a dozen natives managed at different times to actually
force their way into the battery, but luckily for us they got
in only one 'at a time and they were promptly despatched.

At last they were beaten off and compelled to retire to
their canoes as before, carrying away with them their killed
and wounded — of whom I counted no less than thirty being
borne away by their comrades — our lads "freshening their
way " for them with a hot musketry fire so long as they
remained within range.

Then followed another brief interval during which we
finished our scanty breakfast, after which, having seen the
guns and muskets loaded afresh, I undertook to maintain a
look-out, and ordered the men to lie down and snatch such
rest as they could get.

But our foes, wily as savages always are, had evidently in
their recent hand-to-hand struggle with us detected the
evidences of our extreme fatigue, and were by no means
disposed to allow us much time or opportunity to recuperate
our exhausted energies, for the men had scarcely flung
themselves upon the ground, where sleep instantly seized

(290) U

306 A HARASSING DAY.

apOQ them, when the canoes were once more put in motion
and again the unhappy blue-jackets were called upon to

resist an attack. I now began to feel a strong suspicion
that the enemy had quite counted upon our being kept
upon the alert during the whole of the previous night, the
perfect silence which they had maintained being, as they
very probably surmised, rather a harassing than a reassur-
ing circumstance to us, and that they fully intended to take
the fullest possible advantage of this during the ensuing
day. But their heavy losses in killed and wounded had at

the same time made them increasingly wary, and for the
next hour or two they contented themselves with a con-
tinuous series of demonstrations which drew our fire and
kept us incessantly on the alert, without actually renewing
their attack.

At length the wind dropped away to a flat calm and the
rays of the unclouded sun beat remorselessly down upon us
with a fierce intensity which in our exhausted condition was
positive agony. A burning unquenchable thirst took pos-
session of us, and the men resorted to the water-kegs so
incessantly that the water diminished with startling rapidity,
and foreseeing the possible difficulty of obtaining a further
supply I was at last reluctantly compelled to put them upon
an allowance, so that very speedily we had thirst added to
our other miseries. And during all this time our aching
eyes were every moment directed down the river in the
hope, which grew less and less as the day wore on, of detect-
ing the approach of the boats which we felt certain were on .
their way to effect our rescue.

CHAPTER XX.

RKSCUKD.

IN ALLY the long, harassing, anxious day drew

to a close, the sun set, the night mists gathered

once more ahout us, and the hoped-for rescue

had not appeared.

We were by this time completely worn out, and I foresaw

that unless the men could obtain a little rest our pertinacious

enemies must inevitably prove victorious.

Of course in this matter of rest everything depended upon
the behaviour of the foe. If from principle or superstition,
or for any other reason, it was their invariable habit to
abstain from fighting at night all might yet be well with us,
for though our stock of provisions and water was getting
low, and the ammunition for our muskets was geLtiiig short,
I felt convinced that, could our lads but secure three or tour
hours of unbroken rest, they were quite equal to holding
the battery for another twenty-four hours at least Unfor-
tunately I knew nothing whatever about the hghtiag customs
of the natives, and was consequently quite without a guide
of any kind beyond my own reason. I felt convinced that
the blacks had fully realized the advantage to them of our
fagged condition during the past day, and had little doubt
but that they were acute enough to trace it to its correct
source; the question then was, would they allow us to

807

308 AN ANXIOUS WATCH.

pass an undisturbed night and thus sacrifice an important
advantage? I greatly doubted it. But they might allow a
few hours' cessation of hostilities in the hope of lulling us
into a feeling of false security, and thus making us the
victims of an easy, yet well-executed surprise. The more I
thought about the matter the more probable did this course
of action appear; and at last I resolved to put it to the test
by dividing the men into watches and allowing them an
hour's sleep at a time.

But before doing this I thought I would repeat my
experiment of the previous night and endeavour to secure a
little more water, and this I did with such signal success
that we actually refilled all our breakers, besides giving
every man an opportunity to completely slake his thirst

It was just eight o'clock p.m. by the time that we had
completed our preparations, and I then made half the men
lie down, which they did, falling instantly asleep. This of
course necessitated increased vigilance on the part of the
watchers, each of whom had to guard a double length of
parapet; but the first hour passed peacefully away, and the
sleepers were awakened in order that we might have our
turn. It was really amusing, notwithstanding the gravity
of our situation, to hear each man protest as he sat up and
rubbed his eyes that we had not treated them fairly, and
that they had only that moment fallen asleep. But when
assured to the contrary they roused up at once, and I was
greatly gratified to see that, short as had been their period
of rest, it had undoubtedly done them a world of good.
The "watch on deck" was placed under the command of
the man Tom who had done such good service with the
carronade on board the cutter, he being, in my opinion, the
most trustworthy man in the party; and giving him the
most stringent orders to keep a bright look-out, to fire at

THAT EXASPERATING TOM I 309

once and unhesitatingly on any moving object which might
make its appearance, and to call me in the event of anything
taking place out of the common, I flung myself upon the
ground with my back to the sod parapet, and in the act of
folding my arms across my chest fell asleep.

To be cruelly awakened the next instant, almost before 1
had had time to fully realize the blessedness of the gift of
sleep.

" Well, Tom, what is it 1 Has the enemy hove in sight 1 "
I exclaimed pettishly, rubbing away at my eyes to force
them open.

"No, sir; everything's still quiet, thank God."
"Then what did you wake me for, in Heaven's namel"
"Four bells, sir; our turn for a spell of sleep again, sir,"
was the exasperating reply.
** Four bells ! Nonsense ! "

I cotdd not believe it. As in the case of the others it
really seemed as though I had not actually had time to get
to sleep at all, yet I had slept soundly for an hour, and on
staggering to my feet, though the abrupt awakening had'
inflicted upon me positive suffering, I found when fairly
awake, that I was very distinctly the better for my short
nap, which seemed to have made up, at least partially, in
soundness what it lacked in duration.

Another hour passed peacefully — and this time not quite
so laggingly — away; our turn again arrived for a rest; and
once more did we enjoy for a brief space the bliss of perfect
oblivion. At midnight we were called again, Tom reporting
that neither sight nor sound had occurred during his watch
to disturb him. We now began to feel really refreshed, and
during the next hour some of the men in my watch actually
found superfluous energy enough to hum under their breath
a snatch or two of a forecastle song as they paced vigilantly

310 A STEALTHY APPROACH.

to and fro over the short stretch of ground which constituted
their "beat"

As the silent hour flitted away without disquieting sight
or sound of any kind I began to feel sanguine that we were
going to be blessed with uninterrupted peace for the re-
mainder of the night, and inwardly resolved that if matters
still continued satisfactory after my watch had had its next
hour's sleep I would extend the period of sleep to two hours
for the next watch, which, with what they had already had,
ought to put them in excellent trim for the fatigues of the
succeeding day, whatever they might be. And with this
resolve still uppermost in my mind I laid down and once
more dropped to sleep when my turn came at one o'clock

Two o'clock arrived, oiu' watch was called, and still there
had been no sign of the enemy. I thought we might now
safely reckon upon being allowed to pass the remainder of
the night tmdisturbed; I accordingly informed the retiring
watch that unless we happened to be attacked in the interim
they would now be allowed to sleep for a spell of two hours
instead of one, and they forthwith composed themselves for
a good long nap.

But it was not to be. An hour later one of the men
startled us all into instant wakefulness by sharply giving
the challenge, which was instantly repeated all round the
battery, and peering anxiously into the fog I detected the
indistinct presence of several shapeless objects lying prone
upon the ground where I knew that nothing of the kind
ought to be. These objects were quite motionless; but the
man who had first given the challenge assured me that his
attention had first been attracted to them by a stealthy
movement. Ordering the man to at once rouse the sleepers,
cautioning them individually to take up their proper stations

A NIGHT ATTACH Sll

noiselessly behind the parapet, I waited until every man had
gained his post, and then taking a steady aim at one of the
objects I discharged my musket.

With a shriek of pain the object at which I had fired half
raised itself to an erect position and then fell heavily
forward. At the same moment a loud blood-curdling yell
resounded upon the heavy night air, and the foggy back-
ground instantly became alive with the forms of the savages
who sprang to their feet and came bounding toward the
battery, hurling their spears as they came.

"Take steady aim, my men; select your mark, and each
bring down your man if possible; keep cool now. Ah! I
am hit!" I exclaimed, as a spear came whizzing in over the
parapet, passing clean through the fleshy part of my right
thigh. In the excitement of the moment it did not take
me a second to relieve myself of my unpleasant encum-
brance by drawing the spear shaft right through the wound;
and the next moment I found myself engaged with the rest
in resisting the hottest and most determined assault to
which we had hitherto been subjected. Luckily for us the
battery was only a small aflFair, and our party was therefore
large enough to take pretty good care of it, otherwise that
night attack would have ended the business. But our men
had now had the benefit and refreshment of three hours'
sound sleep, and they fought with such renewed energy,
such dogged determination, that the assault again failed, and
the savages were once more driven offi

That satisfied them for the time being. They had deferred
their attack until the early hours of the morning, doubtless
hoping to find us worn out with ceaseless watching, and per-
chance at length overcome with sleep; and instead of that wo
had been found more alert than ever; in their anxiety to
take us unawares they had rather overdone it, in fact, and

312 STILL H£MMBD IK.

the result was that they left us undisturbed for the short

remaiBder of the night

There was, however, no more rest for us; after this well-
planned attempt at a surprise I dare not allow any of my
small party to again go off duty, and sunrise found us stOl
anxiously watching for another attack

When the mist at length cleared away we discovered the
hostile canoes still closely hemming us in; but they now
seemed to have tired of their fruitless efforts to take the
battery by assault, and had apparently made up their minds
to try the effect of a regular siege. This was bad enough;
for our provisions, though husbanded with the utmost care,
were only sufficient to allow us a mere mouthful each for
two meals during that day; but to be spared the fatigue of
constantly fighting was something to be grateful for; and I
felt certain that the relief expedition must appear before the
lapse of many hours longer. We consequently sat down to
our scanty morning meal not only with excellent appetites
but also in very fair spirits, considering what we had lately
been called upon to endure; and, the meal over, I next de-
voted my attention to the wounded, of whom there were by
this time several, and did what I could to make them and
myself as comfortable as possible.

About an hour after sunrise a little air from the eastward
sprang up, and by nine A.M, it was blowing quite a free breeze,
which, though it certainly refreshed us greatly, and was in
pleasing contrast to the suffocating heat of the day before,
I was rather sorry to see ; for I knew that, combined with
the current, it would seriously retard the advance of our
friends up the river. To tell the truth, I was getting to be
a triffe anxious about this matter; I could not at all under-
stand why it was that we had been left to take care of
ourselves so long. If the French boat had reached the

**THE BOATS I HURRAH!" 313

creek in safety she would doubtless arrive about ten or
eleven Jji, or a few hours only after our establishment of
ourselves upon the island. Forty hours or thereabouts had
elapsed since then, yet there was no sign of help. Could it
be possible that the Frenchmen had not escaped after all?
In that case we might have to wait another day, or even a
couple of days; for I thought it scarcely probable that Cap-
tain Vernon would take alarm on the instant of our becoming
overdue. I was anxiously weighing all these surmises in
my mind, and endeavouring to arrive at a fair and reason-
able estimate of the longest possible time we might still be
expected to hold out, when the look-out men raised a simul-
taneous cheer, followed by a joyous shout of —

" The boats ! The boats ! Here they coma Rurrah/"
With one bound I reached the parapet; and, sure enough,
at a distance of only three quarters of a mile away, and just
sweeping fairly into view from behind the next island below
us, the launch, pinnace, and second cutter of the Daphne
appeared, with their ensigns streaming in the breeze and
the quick-flashing oar-blades and the bayonets of the "jollies"
gleaming brightly in the sun.

"Up, lads! and give them a cheer, just to let them know
where we are," I exclaimed exultantly; and at the word up
scrambled the whole of our little party except poor old
Mildmay, who was too seriously hurt to move without as-
sistance — and from the top of the parapet we sent echoing
down to them upon the wings of the breeze three such ring-
ing cheers as must have assured them of the sincerity of our
delight at their appearance. As the sound reached the boats
I saw the officers rise in the stem sheets and wave their
caps to us in response; the oar-blades flashed quicker in the
sun ; the foam gathered in increasing volume under the bows
of the boats as their crews put on an extra spurt; and pre-

314 THE DECISIVE MOMENT.

gently a flash and a puff of fleecy smoke started out simul-
taneously from each boat, and the hoom of the three reports
came dull and heavy to us against the opposing breeze.

Of course we fully expected that the mere appearance of
the boats would suflSce to put our sable enemies to flight,
but nothing of the kind happened; on the contrary, the
canoes resolutely faced the new-comeTs^ and evinced a
very decided disposition to dispute their passage up the
river.

We should beat them to a certainty; no one in their sober
senses could for a moment doubt that ; but in the meantime,
if it actually came to a hand-to-hand tussle between whites
and blacks we in the battery, who had already had so many
opportunities of observing their perfect fearlessness, knew
very well that the latter could make matters decidedly diffi-
cult and unpleasant for our friends.

But it was no time just then for cogitation, the moment
for decisive action had arrived, and I forthwith took the
necessary steps to enable our party to do their share of the
work in hand.

"That will do, lads," I exclaimed, as the men on the
parapet paused to recover the breath they had expended in
their vociferous greeting to the boats. "Jump down and
man the guns. Load and double shot them; and you, Tom,
place the remainder of those fuzes in the magazine in such
a way that they will do their work effectually when re-
quired. We will give the canoes another broadside, just to
'freshen their way* and show them that we are in earnest;
and then I shall abandon and blow up the battery previous
to shoving off to join our lads yonder."

The men turned to with a will; the guns were loaded; and
I then went with Tom to personally inspect the arrangement
of the fuzes.

THE BATTERY IS BLOWN UP. 315

When all was ready I gave the word to fire ; the six guns
belched forth their contents simultaneously; and without
waiting to see what damage had been done, the men seized
their muskets, the water-kegs, and our few other belongings;
and with two hands specially detailed to convey the master
carefully down to the boat, all hands, excepting Tom and
myself, left the battery and made the best of their way down
to the cutter, which, after depositing poor old Mildmay as
comfortably as possible in the stem-sheets, they got afloat.

" Step your mast," I shouted, "and see all ready for hoist-
ing the sail"

We waited patiently until we saw that everything was
ready on bos^-d the cutter; and then Tom and I ignited the
fuzes in the three magazines. It was awfully risky work, as
the fuzes were fearfully short; but it had to be done, and it
was done coolly and smartly, after which we bounded over
the low parapet and ran for our lives down to the boat

" Shove off and give way for your lives, men," I panted,
as we tumbled in over the gunwale with a considerable loss
of shin-leather; and in another instant we were surging away
from the island as fast as the oars and sail would drive us.
The men were just belaying the halliards of the lug when
— bomi — a dull heavy report came from the battery; a great
black cloud of smoke and dust, liberally intermixed with
clods and stones and masses of earth, shot up into the air;
and when it cleared away the battery was gone,

"Now, Tom, jump forward, my man, and get that carronade
loaded with grape or canister or langridge, anything you
happen to have handy, and be smart about it, my fine fellow,"
I exclaimed, as I saw a group of canoes separate themselves
from the rest and form in line across our course, evidently
for the purpose of opposing our passage and preventing our
effecting a junction with our friends. " Load your muskets,

316 A RESOLUTE CREW.

men, and draw your cutlasses; we must get through that
line of canoes somehow, and I mean to do it."

The men obeyed without a word ; their blood was by this
time thoroughly aroused; they were all aquiver with eager
excitement; and as I looked at them sitting there upon the
thwarts, facing forward, with their naked cutlasses beside
them and their loaded muskets firmly grasped in their hands,
their fingers just feeling the triggers, their teeth clenched,
and their eyes flashing, I felt that nothing short of a frigate
with her crew at quarters would stop them.

The rescuing parfcy was by this time smartly engaged
with the main body of the canoes, and by their tardy pro-
gress I knew that they already had their hands fully oc-
cupied. The detachment which had assumed the respon-
sibility of intercepting us had separated itself some distance
from the main body, and was now formed in a double line
right across our course, altering its position from time to
time in such a manner as to keep always square ahead of us.
I saw that it would be useless to attempt to dodge them;
we had not time for that; so I directed the coxswain to steer
straight for the broadside of the midship canoe, the craft,
that is to say, which occupied the centre of the opposing
line. She was a biggish craft for a canoe, being somewhere
about fifty feet long, and manned by forty negroes; the canoe
which lay on her starboard side, or beyond her, being about
the same size. There were sixteen more canoes in the line ;
and altogether they presented the appearance of a very formid-
able barrier. But I had had an opportunity of learning pretty
well what they were when Smellie and I, bound hand and
foot, took our memorable cruise up the river in one of them,
and I knew that they were, after all, but very crank, flimsy,
fragile affairs, not to be compared for a moment in strength
with the stout boat which carried us at such a gallant pace

GIVING OUR FOE THE STEM. 317

over the swirling river. So I determined to give our fool-
hardy opponents the stem, trusting to the weight and mo-
mentum of the boat to enable us to break through the
line.

On rushed the cutter, the breeze roaring merrily over her,
and the broad lug-sail dragging at her like a team of cart-
horses; whilst Tom crouched in the bows, squinting along
the sights of his piece, and holding himself in readiness to
fire at the instant that he should get the order. We were
within a hundred feet of the line of canoes when the crew
of the big craft began to see danger; they had hoped, by
their persistent demonstration of barring our path, to in-
timidate us, but, now that it was too late, they saw that
they had failed, that we meant mischief; and, setting up a
loud yell of consternation, they plied their paddles des-
perately in an effort to avoid the impending collision. It
was unavailing; the canoes ahead and astern of them, con-
fused like themselves, and only imperfectly comprehending
what their comrade would be at, closed in upon instead of
separating from them ; and immediate dire confusion was the
result. When within twenty yards of them Tom delivered
the contents of his carronade; and an immediate outburst
of groans, yells, and shrieks bore testimony to the accuracy
of his aim. Before the smoke had fairly cleared away the
cutter was upon them. The big canoe nearest us had been
torn nearly in halves by the discharge of the carronade, and
we swept over her almost without feeling it. The other big
fellow was, however, afloat and apparently uninjured. An-
other yell of terror went up from her occupants as our
sail overshadowed them; there was a violent shock as our
strong iron-bound stem crashed down upon their gunwale;
the canoe heeled over; and the cutter leaped upward as she
crushed her way through and over this second adversary.

318 A JOYOUS REUNION.

For a few seconds we were involved in a confused medley
of canoes and wreckage, of drowning savages wildly clutch-
ing at the gunwales of the boat in an ineffectual effort to
save themselves; there was a rattling volley of musketry, a
flash or two of cutlass blades, and then away sped the cutter
once more. We were through.

Our carronade was quickly loaded again, but happily further
destruction of human hfe was unnecessary. The savages,
who seemed to have depended implicitly upon the power
of their detached squadron to stop us, became demoralized
when they saw the cutter dash irresistibly through the
opposing line, and receiving at the same time very severe
treatment at the hands of the rescuing party, they broke up
suddenly and beat a precipitate retreat, each canoe seemingly
striving to outdo the rest in the speed of its flight. And
thus ended victoriously for us the fight which we had been
for over forty hours maintaining against such apparently
overwhelming odds.

We soon found ourselves alongside the launch; and hearty
were the congratulations and eager the questions which were
showered upon us by her crew, quickly repeated by those of
the other two boats, which joined in almost immediately
afterwards.

" You seem to have been in rather a bad fix," exclaimed
Armitage, who was in command of the boats, as he shook
me heartily by the hand. "Tell us all about it."

I detailed as succinctly as possible all that had transpired
since our departure from the ship, and wound up by a sug-
gestion that if they had any spare rations they would be
most acceptable.

" Eations!" exclaimed Armitage; "to be sure we have, my
boy; but let us adjourn to this island of yours, where we can
get them properly cooked. T feel curious to see the spot

"WHERE IS THE FRENCH BOAT?" 319

which you held so pluckily for so long a time. But, by the
by, where is the French boat all this time ? "

"The French boatl Has she not turned up at the creek?"
I exclaimed in surprise. "We felt certain of her escape,
and indeed depended upon the information she would con-
vey of our predicament for the despatch of assistance."

" She had not put in an appearance up to the time of our
starting at noon yesterday, nor have we seen any sign of
her during our passage up the stream," was the reply. "You
were due to return, you know, the evening before last, and
when yesterday morning came, without your appearance,
Captain Vernon became uneasy. He allowed you until
noon, however; but when noon passed, leaving you still non
esij he came to the conclusion that something was amiss,
and despatched us in quest of you at once. So this is the
scene of the struggle, eh?" as the boats grounded on the
beach of the island. "A pretty scene of ruin it is."

And so it was. The battery had been completely obliter-
ated by the explosion, nothing remaining to mark its site
but the scattered fragments of the sod walls and the dis-
mounted guns; the charred remains of the barrack, a short
distance away, aiding to complete the picture of destruction.
An immense number of native spears were lymg scattered
about all over the ground, and these were promptly collected
by the seamen as souvenirs of the struggle.

CHAPTER XXL

AN AWFUL CATASTROPHE.

|EAN WHILE the Spaniards were still lying perdu
on board the hulk as they had remained from
the moment of our driving them out the bat-
tery. During the discussion of our much-
needed meal the question of what steps we should take with
regard to them had been canvassed; and, our appetites at
length satisfied, Armitage and I walked across the island to
make a closer inspection of the position of the craft.

I had wondered greatly, at odd times during our pro-
tracted struggle with the savages, how the Spaniards had
managed to transfer so rapidly from the barrack to the hulk
the large number of slaves which the former must have con-
tained, and now the riddle was solved. On arriving abreast
of the hulk we found that a small timber jetty had been
constructed from the shore to a point within fifty yards of
the hulk, and we could see in a moment that by easing off
the moorings of the hulk, the current would carry her fairly
alongside this jetty, where, without doubt, she must have
been lying when we first hove in sight The slaves had
evidently been marched straight on board her over the jetty,
and her bow and stem moorings then hove in until she had
been hauled far enough away from the jetty to render her
capture by its means impossible.

320

THE SPANIABDS SURR£ND£B. 821

After a little further conversation with Armitage it was
agreed that the Spaniards should be hailed and ordered to
surrender, and this was accordingly done. We had no very-
great hope of success, as we felt sure the Spaniards must be
fully aware of the difficulty we should experience in captur-
ing the hulk. As before stated, she towered so high out of
the water and her sides were so bare that the Spaniards,
small as was their number, could effectually resist all our
efforts to capture her by boarding; to fire into and sink her
would only result in the destruction of all the slaves on
board her; and as she was moored with heavy chains, instead
of hemp hawsers, to cut her adrift and let her ground upon
the island was quite as impracticable as would have been
any attempt to board her.

We were therefore very agreeably surprised when the
Spaniards, in response to our hail, at once consented to
abandon the hulk, provided we would allow them to depart
unmolested in their boat. This arrangement suited us very
well, we being just then anything but anxious to hamper
ourselves with prisoners, and the required promise was un-
hesitatingly made. The Spaniards thereupon provisioned
their boat, lowered her into the water, and half an hour
later disappeared round a bend of the river on their way
down stream. Taking immediate possession of the hulk, we
dropped her in alongside the jetty once more, and landed
the slaves upon the island. They were all, for a wonder, in
fairly good condition, having evidently been well taken care
of, with the view of fitting them as thoroughly as possible
to withstand the terrible hardships of the notorious Middle
Passage.

Having at length cleared the hulk we next transferred the
slaves in batches to the boats, by which they were conveyed
across the stream to the mainland, where they were freed

(290) X

322 DOWN THE RIVER ONCE MORE.

and left to shift for themselves, the provisions found on
board the hulk being distributed as evenly as possible
among them. Landed thus in a possibly hostile country —
for they were evidently a different race of people from those
■with whom we had recently had so desperate a struggle
unarmed, and with only a small supply of provisions, their
situation was perhaps not very much better than it had
been when they lay prisoners on board the hulk, but it was
all we had it in our power to do for them under the circum-
stances, and we could only hope that their wit would prove
equal to the task of steering them clear of the many dangers
to which they were exposed, and conducting them safely
back to their own country. There were rather more than
eight hundred of them altogether, counting in the pic-
caninies, and the transfer of them to the mainland fully
occupied us until within half an hour of sunset As we
were by that time pretty well fagged out, and as it was
manifestly too late to make any progress worth speaking of
on our way back to the creek that night, we resolved to
remain until daylight upon the island, which we did without
receiving molestation or annoyance of any kind from any-
body.

At eight o'clock on the following morning, having pre-
viously breakfasted, we started down the river, keeping a
bright look-out for the French boat all the way down, and
exploring all the most likely creeks and indentations on the
south bank of the river, without discovering any trace of
her. This protracted search so seriously delayed our pro-
gress that we were two whole days making the passage back
to the creek, and on our arrival there we discovered that
three survivors of the French party had turned up on board
the Vesiale the previous day, reporting the capture of the
boat by the natives, and the massacre of all hands except

AN TTNFORTUNATK MISUNDERSTANDING. 323

the three who had managed somehow to slip their bonds
and make good their escape in a canoe. They had reported
that their capture was due to our abandonment of them, it
appeared, and the insinuation, which Captain Vernon had
indignantly repudiated, had occasioned a very serious out-
break of ill-feeling between the two ships, so much so indeed
that the commander of the Vestale had left the river in high
dudgeon on the morning of the day of our arrival, refusing
absolutely to co-operate with us any further. I was, of
course, subjected to a very severe cross-examination by Cap-
tain Vernon on the subject; but my detailed narrative of
the affair, which was confirmed in every particular by poor
old Mildmay, soon satisfied him that the fault, if fault there
was, rested not with us; and both Mildmay and myself were
fully exonerated from all blame. Nay more — the master
generously represented my defence of the battery in such a
light that I received the skipper's highest commendations
and renewed promises of support and assistance in my
career.

At sunrise next morning we weighed and stood out to
sea, bound on a cruise to the westward.

The next two months passed away in the most drearily
uneventful manner, the ship being at sea the whole time.
At the end of that period, being in lat. 4° s. and long. 5° E. on
our way back to the Congo, the ship standing to the north-
ward and eastward at the time, under all plain sail, with light
bafliing south-easterly airs, the look-out aloft, just before

being relieved at noon, reported two sail, close together, hove-
to broad on our lee bow. The usual form of questions being

duly put by Armitage, who happened to be the officer of the
watch, the further information was elicited that one of them
was a brig and the other a full-rigged ship, but of what
nationality they were it was difficult to say, nothing but the

324 FOUL PLAY I

heads of their topgallant-sails being visible above the horizon
from our fore-topmast crosstrees. The matter being reported
to Captain Vernon, orders were given for our course to be so
altered as to allow of our edging down upon the strangers;
the fact of their being hove-to so close together having a
somewhat suspicious appearance.

By three o'clock P.M. we had neared the two vessels suffi-
ciently to bring their hulls into view from the mainroyal-yard;
they were then lying broadside-on to us with their heads to
the eastward, the ship being between us and the brig; but
by the aid of our glasses we were able to make out that they
had apparently dropped alongside each other, and the skipper
gave it as his decided opinion that foul play was going on
on the part of one or the other of the two craft. This
opinion was shortly afterwards confirmed by the appearance
of thick clouds of black smoke arising from the ship; the

brig hauling off and standing to the westward under every
stitch of canvas she could spread.

''Undoubtedly a most daring act of piracy, committed
under our very noses, too," commented the skipper to me as
the smoke rose up into the clear atmosphere and hung like
a great pall immediately over the doomed ship. We were
walking together fore and aft upon the quarter-deck at the
time, whistling most earnestly and devoutly for a wind, as
indeed were all hands fore and aft. Suddenly Captain
Vernon paused, and, wetting the back of his hand, held it
up to the air.

"The wind is failing us," he remarked, and abruptly dived
below to his cabin.

At the same moment I noticed that the corvette was
heading three or four points to the eastward of her course.

" Hard up with your helm, man," I exclaimed impatiently
to the man at the wheel. " Where are you taking the shipl"

^'CUTtEKS away!** 325

" The wheel is hard over, sir," explained the poor fellow
with patient deference; " but she's lost steerage- way."

Just then the skipper returned to the deck.

" Pipe away the first and second cutters, Mr. Hawkesley,"
he exclaimed sharply. " Take charge of them yourself with
one of the midshipmen to help you, and pull down to the
burning ship. As likely as not you will find that a similar
trick has been played there to the one by which that un-
fortunate man Eichards and his crew so nearly lost their
lives. Let the crews of the boats take their cutlasses and
pistols with them, so as to be prepared in the event of inter-
ference from the brig's crew, and make all the haste you can.
Your first duty is to save the crew; your next to save the
ship if possible. The glass is rising, so there will be no
wind; but I shall do what I can to shorten the distance
between us and the brig yonder. When you have done all

that is possible on board the ship, make a dash for the brig,
unless you see the recall signal flying."

Three minutes later the two cutters were darting swiftly
away over the long glassy undulations of the ground-swell
toward the great cloud of smoke on the horizon which served
as a beacon for us; the men pulling a long steady stroke,
which, whilst it sent the boats through the water at a very
fair pace, could be maintained for three or four hours at
least.

We were scarcely a mile away from the Daphne when she
had the rest of her boats in the water and ahead of her
towing, whilst, dangling from the yard-arms aloft, could be
seen hammocks and bags of shot suspended there to assist —
by the swinging motion imparted to them by the rise and
fall of the vessel over the swell — the ship's progress through
the water. The brig was hull-down to us; but from the
steadiness with which her head was kept pointing to the

326 THE "HIGHLAND CHIEFTAIN."

westward I conjectured that she was either sweeping or
being towed by her boats.

The sun set in a perfectly clear and cloudless sky, just as
we had brought the ship hull-up; but by that time she was
a mass of flame fore and aft, and I began to fear that we
should be too late to save her crew or to do any good what-
ever on board her. We kept steadily on, however, and
reached her half an hour later.

The three masts went over the side when we were within
a cable's length of the burning ship, and on arriving within
fifty feet of her we found it impossible to approach any
nearer, owing to the intense heat It was manifestly im-
possible that any living thing could be in the midst of that
fiercely flaming furnace, so we were compelled to content
ourselves with merely ascertaining the name of the unfor-
tunate craft, which with considerably difficulty we at length
made out to be the Highland Chieftain of Glasgow — after
which we left her.

On pulling out clear of the smoke and glare of the flames
once more we found ourselves to be about six miles distant
from the brig, a distance of about eleven miles intervening
between us and the Daphne, Night had by this time closed
completely down upon us; the deep clear violet sky above
us was thickly powdered with stars, which were waveringly
reflected in the deep indigo of the water beneath, and away
to the eastward the broad disc of the full moon was just
rising clear of the horizon and casting a long rippling wake
of golden light from the ocean's rim clear down to us.

Our first glance was of course in the direction of the
Daphne. Her towering spread of canvas alternately appeared
and vanished aa the enormous idly flapping sails caught and
lost again, with the heave of the vessel, the glint of the
golden moon-beams; but, save this, all was dark and still on

THE RECALL SIGNAL. 327

board her; no lanterns flashed in her rigging as a recall signal,
so I exultingly gave the order for the boats to be headed

straight for the brig, determined to win her if dash and
courage could do it.

" Pull steadily, lads," I cautioned, tus the two crews bent
their backs, and with a ringing cheer started the boats in
racing style; " no racing now, we cannot afford the strength
for it, all you have will be wanted when we get alongside
the chase; she is doubtless well manned with a determined
crew who will not give in without a tough struggle, so hus-
band your strength as much as possible. Mr. Peters/' to
the midshipman in charge of the second cutter, " drop in my
wake, sir, if you please, and see that your men do not over-
task themselves."

The men obediently eased down at once, and we jogged
steadily along at a pace of about four knots an hour; but
their eagerness soon got the better of them, the pace gradu-
ally increased, and I had to constantly check them, or we
should soon have been tearing away as fiercely as ever.

This state of things lasted for about half an hour, and
then the gleam of lanterns suddenly appeared in the Daphne^s
rigging. It was the recall signal, and the men gave audible
vent to their feeling of disappointment in an involuntary
groan.

"Never mind, men," I said; "I have no doubt Captain
Vernon has some good reason for it. Answer the signal,
coxswain. Ah .' I told you so; the sloop has a little breeze,
and here it comes creeping up astern of us. Step the mast,
take the covers ofi" the sails, and get the canvas on the boats.
Do you see that bright red star close to the horizon, coxswain ?
Starboard a bit. So, steady, now you have it fair over the
boat's stem Steer for it, and we shall just drop alongside
the sloop nicely, without troubling her to wait for us "

328 "A VERY BAD BUSINESS ALTOGETHER.'*

The breeze soon reached us, topng coyly with the boat's
canvas at first, but gradually bellying out the sails until at
last they " went to sleep." The breeze was, after all, merely
the gentlest of zephyrs, only just sufficient to give a ship
steerage-way; but, very fortunately for us, the boats were
provided, by a whim of poor Austin's, with a suit each of
enormous lateen sails made of light duck, with yards of such
a length that they had to be jointed in the middle to enable
them to be stowed in the boats; they were just the thing
for light airs, and under their persuasive influence we were
soon gliding smoothly through the scarcely ruffled water
quite as fast as the men could have propelled us with the
oars. An hour later we slid handsomely up alongside the
sloop, which by this time was slipping along at the rate of
about five knots under studding-sails and everything else
that would hold a breath of wind, and the boats were hoisted
in without any interruption to the ship's progress.

"Well, Mr. Hawkesley, what news from the burning
ship?" exclaimed the skipper as I stepped up to him to
make my report.

I explained to him the state in which we had found the
vessel when we reached her, and gave him her name.

"Ah!" he remarked. "Well, it is a bad job, a very bad
business altogether. I can only hope we may find the crew
uninjured on board the brig when we catch her; but I think
it is rather doubtfuL Now run away down into my cabin
and tell Baines to give you some dinner. I expect every-
thing will be cleared away in the ward-room by this. "

On descending to the cabin I found that the skipper had
been considerate enough to give orders that a nice little
dinner should be ready for me on my return, and those
orders having been carried out to the letter I was enabled
to sit down in peace and enjoy the meal for which the long

THE "BLACK VENUS** AGAIN. 329

pull in the boats had given me a most voracious appetite.
The meal over, it being then my watch below, I turned in.

On relieving Mr, Armitage at midnight I found that the
weather was still fine, the wind the merest shade fresher
than it had been when I left the deck, and the chase directly
ahead, about twelve miles distant, her upper canvas showing
distinctly in the brilliant rays of the moon. We had gained
upon her about a couple of miles during the four hours I
had been below, and Captain Vernon — who had been on
deck during the whole of the previous watch, and was just
about to retire for the night — was in high spirits, and con-
fident in his belief that, if all went well, we should make
the capture before sunset on the following day. The best
helmsman in my watch was ordered to the wheel. I made
a regular tour of the decks, taking an extra pull at a halliard
here, easing off an inch or so of this brace or that sheet, and,
in short, doing everything possible to increase the speed of
the ship, and so my watch passed away; the Daphne having
crept another couple of miles nearer to the chase during the
interval.

Thus matters went on until noon of the following day,
when the wind once more showed sjnnptoms of failing,
whilst the sky became overcast, threatening a change of
weather. We had by this time shortened the distance
between ourselves and the chase until a space of only some
seven miles or so separated us, and everybody on board,
fore and aft, was in a fever of impatience to get alongside
the brig, which our glasses had already assured us was none
other than the notorious Black Verms. She had already
proved herself so slippery a customer that an almost super-
stitious feeling had sprung up in our breasts with regard to
her; we felt that however closely we might succeed in ap-
proaching her, however helplessly she might seem to be in

330 THREATENING WEATHER.

OUT poTver, there could be no dependence -whatever upon
appearances, and that until we had absolutely succeeded in
placing a prize crew upon her decks, and her own crew in
irons, we could not feel by any means certain that she was
ours. Hence the extraordinary feeling of excitement and
impatience which prevailed on board the Daphne on that
memorable afternoon.

About two o'clock the wind changed, and we were obliged
to take in the studding-sail on the port side and get a pull
upon the port braces. Meanwhile a heavy bank of clouds
had gathered in the south-western quarter, and was gradu-
ally working up against the wind, until by three o'clock
P.M. the sun was obscured and the entire heavens blotted
out by the huge murky mass of seething vapour. It was
my watch below, but, like everybody else, I was much too
excited to remain anywhere but on deck, and, to confess the
truth, I did not half like the appearance of things in general.
According to my notions we were about to experience one
of those sudden and violent atmospheric changes which are
so frequently met with in the tropics; yet there was the
ship with a whole cloud of studding-sails set on the starboard
side, as well as every other rag of canvas that could be
coaxed to do an ounce of work. "If," thought I, "my
knowledge of weather is worth anything, all hands of us
will be pretty busy before long, and we shall be lucky indeed
if we do not lose some of our spars, as well as an acre or
two of those flying-kites up aloft there." I even forgot
myself so far as to gently insinuate such a possibility to
Mr. Armitage, but I was so sharply snubbed for my pains
that I determined to interfere no further whilst off duty,
but to keep my eyes open and be ready to lend a hand
whenever and wherever required*

Captain Vernon was of course on deck, and from the

A TEKRIBLE CATASTROPHE. 331

anxious way in which he from time to time glanced, first at
the portentous sky overhead, next at the chase, and finally
at our immense spread of canvas, I felt sure that he, to some
extent, shared my apprehensions.

At length, after a more than usually anxious glance round,
he went to the skylight and took a peep apparently at the
barometer. I was watching him, and I saw him start and
take another keen look at it Then he suddenly dived down
the companion-way into the cabin to make a closer inspec-
tion of it, as I conjectured. My curiosity was aroused, and
I was walking aft to take a look at the instrument through
the skylight on my own account, when the canvas suddenly
flapped, and the next second, without further warning of
any description, a perfect tornado burst upon us.

The ship was taken fiat aback, and over she went, bowing
helplessly before the irresistible strength of the hurricane.
I thought I heard Armitage's voice shouting an order of
some kind, but if such was the case it was impossible to
distinguish the words through the deafening rush of the
wind, which completely swallowed up ail other sounds. As
I felt the deck rapidly heeling under my feet I made a
desperate scrambling spring for the nearest port on the
weather side; for I somehow seemed to realize instinctively
that the Daphm^s brief career was ended — that she would
never again recover herself, but would **turn the turtle"
altogether. The ominous words of the riggers on that day
when, in the first flush of my new-born dignity, I went down
to inspect the craft which was to be my future home, re-
ciured to my mind as vividly as though they had that
moment been spoken, and I felt that the prophecy lurking
behind them was then in the very act of fulfilment. I was
fortunate enough to reach and grasp one of the gun-tackles,
and drawing myself up to wiiidward by its aid, I passed out

332 THE "DAPHNE** KEEL UPWARD.

through the open port on to the upturned weather side of
the ship, where I paused for a moment to glance behind, or
rather beneath me. I shall never forget the sight which
then met my gaze. The ship was lying over on her beam-
ends with her lower yard-arms deeply buried in the sea.
The whole of the lee side of the deck was submerged; the
water was pouring in tons down the open hatchways, the
lee coambings of which were already under water, and the
watch below could be seen ineflfectually endeavouring to
make their way up on deck through these openings, the rush
of water down which irresistibly drove them back again at
each attempt. As for the watch on deck they were already
either swimming about in the sea to leeward or clinging

convulsively to the rigging, whither a few had instinctively
betaken themselves when the ship first went over. But I
had time only for a momentary glance; the sloop had hung
stationary in this position for just the barest perceptible
space of time ; then with a sudden jar she began to settle
once more, and I had time only to scramble breathlessly
along her wet and slippery sides and on to her bilge when
she rolled fairly over and floated keel upwards. And as
she did so, a hideous shriek rang out from her interior and
became audible even above the awful rush of the ecale.

CHAPTEE XXII.

AN ABDUCTION AND AN IMPORTANT CAFTURB,

OE a few moments I felt bewildered — stonneo
■by the awful suddenness of this frightful
catastrophe; the piercing shrieks of despair,
too, which continued to issue from the interior
of the vessel, unmanned me, and I crouched there upon the
upturned bottom of the fabric like one in a dream, I felt
that it was a dream ; the disaster was too complete and too
unexpected to be real, and I waited there, frozen with hor-
ror, anxiously looking for the moment when I should awake
and be released from the dreadful nightmare.

But the sight of some haif-a-dozen men battling for their
lives in the water to leeward of the hull, and vainly struggling
to reach the maintopgallant-mast — ^which had gone at the
first stroke of the hurricane, and having somehow broken
adrift from the topmast-head, now lay floating, with all
attached, a few yards away — brought my senses back to me,
and abandoning my precarious refuge I sprang into the sea
and assisted the men, one after the other, to reach the
floating spars. As I looked round me, in the vain hope of
discovering further survivors^, a few more spars floated up
to the surface — a spare topmast, a studding-sail boom or
two, the foretopgallant-mast, with royal-mast, yards, and
sails attached; and finally a hen-coop with seven or eight

333

334 A FRAIL REFUGE.

drowned fowls in it All these I at once took measures to
secure, knowing that our only hope of ultimate escape — and
a very frail and slender hope it then appeared — rested upon
the possibility of our being able to construct a raft with
them. In this attempt we were fortunately successful, and
sunset found us established on a small but fairly substantial
and well-constructed raft.

We mustered seven hands all told, six seamen and myself

■seven only out of our entire ci'ew/ And so far we were safe.
But as I looked, first at the frail structure which supported
us, and then at the boundless waste of angry sea by which
we were environed, and upon which we were helplessly
tossed to and fro, I thought in my haste that it would have
been better after all if we had shared the fate of our com-
rades, now at rest in their ocean grave and beyond the
reach of those sufferings which seemed only too surely to
await us. Then better thoughts came to me. I reflected
that whilst there was life there was hope, and that the Hand
which had been outstretched to preserve us whilst others
had been allowed to perish, was also able to save us to the
uttermost, if such should be the Divine will. And was it
not our duty to submit to that Willi to endure patiently
whatever might be in store for usi Assuredly it was; and
I humbly bowed my head in silent thanksgiving and prayer

•thanksgiving for my preservation so far, and prayer that
I might be given strength and patience to endure whatever
privation or sufferings might come to me in the future.

Whilst constructing the raft we had been too busy to
note more than the bare fact that we were being gradually
but perceptibly swept away from the capsized hull of the
unfortunate Daphne; but when our work was at length
completed and we had a moment to look around us, our
first glances were dii-ected to windward in search of the

A WELCOME SIGHT. 335

"Wreck. She was nowhere to be seen, and we had no doubt
that, whilst we had been so busUy employed, the wreck had
gradually settled deeper and deeper into the water until she
had gone down altogether.

Most fortunately — or most providentially I ought rather
to say — for us, the tornado had been as brief in its duration
as it had been disastrous in its effects, otherwise we could
never have hoped to survive. In little more than ten minutes
from the capsizing of the sloop the strength of the hurricane
was spent, and the wind dropped to a fresh working breeze.
Of this circumstance the Black Venus promptly availed her-
self — her crew having undoubtedly observed the disaster —
by bearing up and standing to the eastward under every
inch of canvas she could spread. Our first impression on
witnessing this manoeuvre was that, animated by some linger-
ing spark of humanity in their breasts, her people were
returning in quest of possible survivors; but this hope was
speedily extinguished by the sight of the brig sweeping to
leeward and passing us at a distance of about half a mile,
with her crew busily engaged in the operation of crowding
sail upon their vessel We stood up and waved to her as she
passed, and I have no doubt whatever that we were seen;
but no notice was taken of us, and she soon swept out of
sight to leeward. I hardly expected any other result, and
was consequently by no means discouraged at this fresh
instance of inhumanity; indeed, had they taken it into their
heads to rescue us, it is probable that our lot among them
would have been little if any better than it was out there
on the open ocean, drifting about upon our tiny raft.

When night fell we had had sufficient time to fully realize
the peril and hopelessness of our position ; and I think most
of us fully made up our minds that we were destined to a
lingering death from starvation, unless, indeed, the end

336 AGONIZINQ SUSPBNSE.

should happen to be precipitated by the springing up of
another gale or some equally fell disaster.

But our gloomy anticipations were destined to be speedily
and pleasantly dissipated, for at dawn on the following
morning we were agreeably surprised by the sight of a sail
in the northern quarter — the craft evidently heading directly
for us. The wind was blowing from the westward at the time,
a five-knot breeze; the weather was clear and the sea had
gone down, leaving nothing but the swell from the blow of
the preceding day. We accordingly set to work and unhesi-
tatingly cut adrift one of the smaller spars of which our
raft was constructed, and, hastily securing the crazy fabric
afresh, reared the spar on end, with my shirt — the only
white one among us — lashed to its upper extremity as a signal.

The hour which followed was one of most agonizing sus-
pense. Would she or would she not alter her course before
observing our signal ? The helmsman was not steering quite
as steadily as he might have done, and our hearts went into
our mouths and a cry of anguish involuntarily escaped our
lips every time the stranger showed a tendency to luff to
windward or fall off to leeward of her course. At length,
however, our apprehensions were set at rest; for just as her
hull was rising above our limited horizon we saw a sudden
flash from her side, followed by a puff of white smoke, and
a few seconds later the sharp ringing report of a gun came
wafted down to us. Then her topgallant-sails and royals
fluttered a moment in the cool morning breeze as they were
rapidly sheeted home and mast-headed; and half an hour
later the Virginia — ^yes, there could be no doubt about it, it
was our latest prize; and there, abaft the main-rigging, stood
the well-known figure of Smellie himself — the Virginia hove-
to close to windward of us, a boat was lowered, and we soon
found ourselves standing safe and sound on the brig's deck,

ON THE SITE OF THE DISASTER. 337

the cynosure of all eyes and the somewhat bewildered re-
cipients of our former comrades' eager questions.

As for Smellie, with the considerate kindness which was
always one of his most prominent characteristics, he first
gave orders that the half-a-dozen hands rescued with me
should receive every attention, and then carried me off to
his own cabin and rigged me in a jury suit of his own
clothes — which, by the way, were several sizes too big for
me — whilst my own togs were drying ; and then, giving
orders for breakfast to be served in the cabin at the earliest
possible moment, he sat down and listened to my story.

His distress at the loss of so many friends was keen and
sincere, but it did not for a moment obscure his sound com-
mon sense. A few minutes sufficed me to give him a hasty
outline of the disaster and to make him acquainted with the
direction of our drift during the night; the which he had
no sooner ascertained than he altered the brig*s course as
much as was necessary to take her over the scene of the catas-
trophe, at the same time sending three hands aloft to keep a
sharp look-out for wreckage or any other indications that we
were nearing the spot, and especially for possible survivors.

Half an hour later we passed a grating, then a spare
studding-sail boom, then a couple of hen-coops close to-
gether; after which fragments of wreckage became increas-
ingly frequent until we reached a spot where one of the
Daphne^s boats was found floating with her stem torn out
of her; several hatch-covers, the mizen topgallant-mast and
sail, three dead sheep, a wash-deck tub, and other relics
being in company; after which the wreckage suddenly
ceased. We had evidently passed over the spot where the
Daphne had gone down. And the brig was immediately hove-
to and all the boats despatched upon a search expedition
— unhappily a vain one, for not a sign of another survivor

(290) V

338 IN SEARCH OF THE "BLACK VENUa"

could be found, nor even a dead body to which we could
give decent and Christian burial

This melancholy fact at length indubitably established,
Smellie gave the order to make sail, shaping a course for
the Congo, whither we felt sure the Bl<ick Venus had made
the best of her way.

Crowding sail upon the Virginia we made the passage to
the river's mouth in a trifle over five days, during the last
three of which the wind was light and variable with us,
anchoring in Banana Creek at two P.M. on the fifth day from
that on which we had been picked up. The Virginia having
succeeded in completing her complement of officers and men
at Sierra Leone, the half-dozen picked up with me had been
acting as supernumeraries on board, whilst I had simply
been Smellie's guest. I was very much gratified, therefore,
when he invited me to go with him in the boat on a search
expedition to ascertain, if possible, the whereabouts of the
redoubtable Black Venus.

We started in the gig that same afternoon as soon as the
ship was moored, Smellie being of opinion that we should
find the object of our quest snugly moored within the creek
below Don Manuel's house, where we had seen her on the
eventful evening when we captured the Josefa; and this
creek being situate at some distance up the river, it was
necessary that we should make an early start in order to be
back on board before the rising of the evening mists.

We reached the creek in due course without adventure,
and began cautiously to ascend it. Mile after mile we made
our way, landing at the extremity of every reach and care-
fully reconnoitring the succeeding one before entering it
with the boat; but our search was in vain — we arrived at
the head of the creek without finding a single trace of the
brig, or indeed of any other vessel

A VISIT TO DON MANUEL. 339

Being there, it was only natural that Smellie and I should
feel a strong desire to see once more the kind host and
gentle hostess who had so generously nursed and enter-
tained ua in the time of our sore need. Leaving the boat
at the head of the creek, therefore, in charge of the coxswain,
with instructions to the latter to fire a couple of muskets in
rapid succession should our presence be required, or, in the
event of that being inadvisable, to make the best of his way
along the footpath and up to the house, we set out — the
bright flush on Smellie's bronzed cheek, the joyous sparkle
in his eyes, and the eager spring in his elastic footstep be-
traying plainly enough the pleasurable anticipations which
occupied his mind.

Traversing the path with rapid footsteps we soon reached
the palisading which inclosed the garden, passed through
the gate, and found ourselves in sight of the house. There
it stood just as we had last seen it, door and windows wide
open, the muslin curtains at the windows waving idly in the
fitful breeze, and the bamboo lounging-chairs — one of them
overturned— under the verandah.

We stepped briskly out, warm work though we had found
it breasting the hill, and passed up the main avenue leading
to the front door — Smellie keeping his eyes intently fixed
upon the said front door, doubtless in the hope of seeing
Dona Antonia emerge, and of enjoying her first glance of
surprise and delight. I of course had no such inducement
to look straight ahead, and my glances therefore wandered
carelessly here and there to the right and left, noting the
exquisite shapes and colours of the flowers and fruit and the
luxuriant foliage and delightful shade of the trees.

Whilst thus engaged my wandering thoughts were sud-
denly arrested by the appearance of several large and heavy
footprints in the sandy soil of the footpath ; and whilst I

340 A HORRIBLE DISCOVERY.

was still idly wondering what visitors Don Manuel could
have so recently had and from whence they could possibly
have come, my eye lighted upon a single drop of blood;
then another, then quite a little line of blood-drops. They
were, however, only such as would result from a trifling cut
or scratch; so I said nothing about it. A little further on,
up the pathway, a tall thorny shrub thrust its branches
somewhat obtrusively over the border of the path; and one
of the twigs — a good stout one — was broken and hung to its
parent branch by a scrap of bark only. Curiosity prompted
me to pause for a moment to examine the twig; and I then
saw that one of the thorns was similarly broken, its point
being stained with blood still scarcely dry. This solved the
riddle. Someone passing hastily had evidently been caught
by the thorn and rather severely scratched. A few paces
further on a shred of white muslin hung from another bush;
and I began to fear that Dona Antonia had been the sufferer.

Eeaching the house we walked unceremoniously in, de-
lighted at the idea of the surprise we should give our friends.
Proceeding to the parlour, or usual sitting-room, we found
it empty, with, to our great surprise, the table and one or
two chairs capsized, a torn scarf lying on the floor, and
other evidences of a struggle of some sort

The sight brought us abruptly to a stand-still on the
threshold — Smellie and I looking at each other inquiringly,
as though each would ask the other what could be the
meaning of it alL Then with a quick stride my companion
passed in before me, glanced round the room, and uttered a
low exclamation of horror. I at once followed, glanced in
the direction indicated by Smellie's outstretched finger, and
there, behind the door, lay the body of poor Pedro, face
downwards on the floor, a little pool of coagulating blood
being just visible on the matting beneath his forehead.

** WHERE IS DOSfA ANTONIA]" 341

Quickly stooping we turned him over on his back. He was
quite dead, though not yet cold, the cause of death being
clearly indicated by a small bullet-wound fair in the centre
of his forehead.

My thoughts flew back in an instant to the night on
which we last stood under that same roof, to the attempted
abduction of Dona Antonia; and the conviction at once
seized upon me that we were now looking upon another
piece of Senor Madera's work.

The same thought evidently struck Smellie, for he turned
to me and exclaimed breathlessly :

"Dona Antonia! — where can she be?"

And without waiting for an answer he dashed into the
passage and began calling loudly :

"Antonia! Antonia mia! where are you, darlingi It is
I— Harold."

Then, receiving no answer, he shouted alternately for

Don Manuel and old Madre Dolores.

This time he was more successful, for as he paused for
breath we heard a voice far down the garden-path repljdng
in Spanish, "Holal Hola! Who calls for me so loudly?"

And looking in that direction we saw Don Manuel saun-
tering up the path with his gun thrown carelessly over his
shoulder and a well-filled bag of " specimens" by his side.

"We hastened out to meet him, and received a right joyou?
and hearty greeting, to which we hastily responded; and
then poor Smellie in his anxiety blurted out:

"And where is Dona Antonia?"

"Is she not in the house?" asked Don Manuel.

"I cannot find her anywhere," replied Smellie, "and I
greatly feai — " then his natural caution returned to him and
he checked himself. " By the way," he continued, " have
you seen anything of your friend Senor Madera lately,"

342 PAINFUL NEWS.

"No," answered Don Manuel, "he has never had the assur-
ance to appear here since the night on which he made his
audacious attempt to abduct my daughter; but I noticed
just now that his ship is in the creek below there, so I
hastened home, deeming it only prudent to be on the spot
whilst he favours us with his unwelcome proximity."

" His ship in the creek !" exclaimed Smellie incredulously.
" Then she must have arrived within the last half-hour, foi
it is barely that since we passed from the mouth to the head
of the creek, and no ship was in it then."

A little cross-questioning, however, elicited the fact that
there were two creeks near Don Manuel's house; we had
explored the western creek, and it was the other which at
that moment sheltered Senor Madera's ship.

Smellie then, with infinite tact and patience, gradually
broke to the poor old gentleman the news of the tragedy
which had been enacted in the house during its owner's brief
absence, together with our fears as to the fate which had
befallen Dona Antonia.

The poor old fellow was at first most frightfully agitated,
as of course might reasonably have been expected; indeed
in the first paroxysm of his grief and rage I almost feared
he would lose his senses altogether. But Smellie's gentle
firmness and sound reasoning soon brought him to a calmer
frame of mind, and then we instituted a thorough but fruit-
less search of the house.

I then thought it time to mention the various little signs
I had observed on the garden path; and we forthwith
directed otu- steps to the several spots, carefully examining
the ground foot by foot, with the result that we were soon
enabled to arrive at something like a definite conclusion.
Our examination showed that at least half a dozen men had
visited the house probably not more than half an hour before

ON THE TKACK. 343

our arrival; thafc there had been a struggle, in "which the
unfortunate Pedro had lost his life; and that Dona Antonia,
and also in all probability poor old Madre Dolores, who
could nowhere be found, had been forcibly carried off. Hav-
ing come to this conclusion, we next patiently tracked the
footprints, which led us through the wood down to the head
of the creek referred to by Don Manuel, on the muddy
banks of which we distinctly traced not only the heavy
footprints of the abductors, but also the lighter ones of, pre-
sumably. Dona Antonia and her nurse, as well as the mark
of the boat's keel where she had been grounded. This much
determined, Don Manuel next led us to a spot from which
he assured us that Senor Madera's vessel could be seen; and
there, sure enough, we saw our old foe the Black Verms snugly
moored in the creek.

A coimcil of war was at once held as to what should be

our next proceeding. It was manifestly impossible to attack
the brig there and then ; our little force was wholly inade-
quate to the capture of the vessel, and any attempt to do so
would only have resulted in putting her crew upon their
guard, Don Manuel informed us that, from his knowledge
of the creek, he was certain there would not be a sufficient
depth of water over the sand-bar at its mouth to sllow of the
brig sailing before high water, which would be at about half-
past six o'clock that evening; but we were unanimously of
opinion that, having secured his prey, Senor Madera would sail
then. As to what might happen in the interim, it would not
bear thinking of, and we could only hope and pray for the best.
Having by this time obtained all the light which it was
possible to gain on the matter, we prepared to return to the
Firffiniay Don Manuel eagerly accepting Smellie's invitation
to accompany us. But before doing this, there lay before us
the melancholy task of burying poor Pedro's body, and with

344 A DIFFICULT PROBLEM.

the aid of half a dozen men from the gig this was accom-
plished as speedily as possible, after which the house was

shut up, and we hastened down to the boat and made the
best of our way back to our ship.

Poor Smellie behaved most admirably under the very try-
ing circumstances. That he was fearfully agitated and
anxious, I, who knew him so well, could easily see; but with
a determination and firmness of will which I heartily envied
he resolutely put aside all other considerations and devoted
all his energies to the solution of the problem of what it
would be best to do. We were a silent and thoughtful party
as we wended our way back to the ship ; but once there, the
skipper promptly led the way to his cabin and informed Don
Manuel and me that he had decided upon a plan of action.
It was exceedingly simple. He was, he said, more firmly
convinced than ever that the Black Veniis would sail that
night. The weather was clear and fine, the barometer high;
and we might therefore reckon with certainty upon the
springing up of the land-breeze shortly after sunset. This
breeze would be a fair wind out of the river; but so long as
it lasted no ship could re-enter against it and the strong
current. Smellie's plan, therefore, was simply to go outside
as soon as the evening mists gathered sufficiently to conceal
our movements, and there await the Black Fenus, trusting
to the speed of the Virginia and our own manoeuvring to
enable us to get promptly alongside her.

The plan looked very promising, and it was adopted. The
messenger was at once passed, and the ship hove short;
after which we awaited with such patience as we could
muster for the gathering of the mist. At length, about seven
P.M., the anchor was tripped, and the Virginia glided grace-
fully out of the creek to seaward, under topsails, jib, and
boom mainsail. We knew almost to a hair's-breadth the

PREPAKING FOR ACTION. 345

course which the Black Fenm must steer for the first seven
or eight miles after clearing Shark Point, and Smellie placed
us right across this track, jamming the vessel close upon a
wind and wearing short round every twenty minutes; by
which plan we were never more than ten minutes sail from
the line over which we expected the enemy to pass.

A careful calculation, based upon our knowledge of the
Black Fervus^s extraordinary sailing powers, showed that we
might look for her about half-past nine o'clock; and half an
hour previous to that we began to make our preparations
for according to her a suitable reception. The decks were
cleared for action, the magazine was opened, arms and
ammunition were served out to the crew, who were then
sent to quarters; the guns were loaded each with a round
shot and a charge of grape on the top of it, and all the can-
vas was loosed and made ready for setting at a moment's
notice. Then all the sharpest eyes available in the ship were
set upon the watch for our slippery foe, and we were ready.

The night mists to which frequent reference has been

made are, it ought to be explained, confined to the river
itself; and though on such occasions as that of which we are
now treating they are carried out to seaward by the land-
breeze a few miles beyond the river's mouth, they soon get
dissipated; so that whilst in the river itself the fog may
be so thick as to render it impossible to see further than
half the ship's length ahead, it will be perfectly clear at a
distance of seven or eight miles outside. . It was just upon
the outer or seaward skirts of the fog-bank that we had
taken up our station and were hovering to and fro.

The Virginia had just gone round, and was stretching to
the southward upon the port tack, when, from my station
on the heel of the bowsprit, I thought I detected a sudden
thickening of the haze at a spot about three points on the

346 "JTOTT WE HAVE HIM FAIRLY."

weather-bow. Straining my eyes to their utmost I gazed in-
tently into the darkness ; the appearance became more pro-
nounced, more defined every second, and as I watched it as-
sumed the form of an irregularly-shaped truncated pyramid.

"Sail ho! broad on the weather-bow!" I exclaimed
joyously; and in a moment half a dozen voices exultingly
reiterated the cry of "Sail ho!"

Yes, there could be no mistake about it; for whilst the
words were still upon our lips the apparition grew more
substantial, assumed the misty outline of a ship in full sail, and
finally shot out from among the fog-wreaths clear and well-
defined — a brig running before the wind under studding-sails.

I hastened aft to where Smellie stood grasping the main-
topmast backstay, and was greeted by him with the charac-
teristic remark of:

"What a fellow he must be, and what nerve he must
have! Fancy a man running out of that river and through
the fog under studding-sails." Then, turning to the helms-
man, he said :

"Now we have him fairly, I think Up with your helm,
my man, and steer for his jib-boom end. Mr. Costigan" —
to the first lieutenant — "make sail, if you please."

"Oi, oi, sorr," answered that worthy in a rich Hibernian
brogue. " Let go and overhaul the fore and main clew-
garnets; board the fore and main tacks and aft wid the
sheets. Fore and main topmast-staysail and jib halliards,
hoist away. Sheet home and set the fore and main top-
gallant-sails, and be smart about it. Aisy now, there, wid
that main tack; don't ye see, you spalpeens, that the ship
is bearin' up. Man the braces, fore and aft; ease up to lee-
ward and round in to windward as the ship pays o£f. "Well
of all, belay, and coil up. Misther Hawkesley, am I to have the
pleasure of showin* ye the way on board the hooker yonder?"

AN EXCITING MOMENT. 347

"Thanks, no, I think not, Costigan," I answered with
a laugh. "I propose to lend my valuable aid to the alter
division of the boarders; you are a host in yourself, you
know, and can manage very well without me. But I shall
keep a look-out for you in the waist of the brig."

"Very well, it's there I'll mate ye, young gintleman, or
my name's not Denis Costigan."

And away hurried the impetuous Irishman to place him-
self at the head of the forward division of boarders.

The brig had sighted us almost as quickly as we had her,
and she made one or two attempts to dodge us. But it was
of no use, she had run into our arms, as it were; we were
much too close together when the vessels became visible to
each other to render anything like dodging at all possible;
moreover Sraellie, standing there on the breach of one of the
guns, watched the chase with so unwavering an eye and met

any deviation on her part so promptly with a corresponding
swerve on the part of the Virginia, that Senor Madera soon
scornfully gave up the attempt, and held steadily forward
upon his course.

The sister brigs, for such they eventually proved to be,
now running on almost parallel courses, soon narrowed the
space between them to a bare hundred feet, the Virginia,
however, having been so carefully steered as to give her a
slight lead. This seemed to be the moment for which Senor
Madera had waited, for he now suddenly threw open his
ports, and without attempting the mockery of hoisting an
ensign of any kind, poured into us the whole contents of his
double-shotted starboard broadside, aiming high, however,
with the evident hope of knocking away some of our more
important spars. Our lower canvas was immediately riddled
and a few unimportant ropes were cut; but beyond this we
fortunately sustained no damage.

348 ALONGSIDE THE CHASE.

By way of reply to this, Smellie, without removing his
eyes from the chase, waved his hand gently to the helmsman ;
the wheel was put a half a dozen spokes or so over to port,
and the Virginia slued slightly more toward her antagonist.

"Now, steady men," cautioned the skipper. "Do not fire
until I give the word, then pour your broadside in upon her
decks — not a shot below the sheer-strake for your lives."
I well knew of whom he was thinking when he said this;
Antonia was doubtless in the cabin, and it was her safety
for which he was thus careful. "And as soon as you have
fired your broadside," he continued, "draw your cutlasses
and stand by to board. Are the grappling-irons all ready ? "

"All ready, sir," came the reply from the tars who were
standing by to throw them, and then there ensued a few
breathless moments of intense silence.

Gradually the two brigs neared each other, until the lap
and swirl of the water along our antagonists' sides could be
distinctly heard. At that moment a rattling volley of small-
arms was discharged from the Black Venus, and I saw
Smellie start and reel on his elevated perch. The next in-
stant, however, he had recovered himself, and once more
waving to the helmsman, he gave the word :

''Firer

Prompt at the command, our broadside rattled out, and
amid the crashing of timber and the shrieks of the wounded
I felt the jar of collision between the two vessels.

" Heave 1 " shouted Smellie. "Boarders away!" And with a
simultaneous spring fore and aft, away we went over the bul-
warks and down on to the crowded decks of the Black Venvs,

The fight was short but stubborn. Our antagonists fought
with the desperate bravery of men who already felt the
halters settling round their necks; but whoever heard of
British tors yielding an enemy's deck when once their feet

THE "BLACK VENUS " OURS AT LAST. 349

were firmly planted upon iti Besides, almost every individual
man among us felt that we had a long score of disappoint-
ments and floutings to wipe out, and steadily but irresistibly
we drove the pirates into the waist of their ship, where,
huddled closely together, it was impossible for them to use

their arms effectively. Finally, Smellie and Madera, after
several unsuccessful efforts to get at each other, managed to
cross swords, and after a few rapid passes the latter fell, run
through the body by the skipper. In the very act of falling,
however, he whipped a pistol from his belt and aiming point
blank at the skipper, fired, the ball passing through Smellie's
lungs. The poor fellow turned blindly, and with the blood
spurting from his mouth reeled into my arms.

I knew very little of the fight after this, for summoning a
couple of men I at once proceeded to remove the skipper on
board his own vessel 3 but before we had got him fairly down
on deck a cheer from our lads told us that victory had once

more declared herself on our side, and that the redoubtable
Black Vemis was ours.

Getting Smellie below and into his cot with all speed, I
waited until the arrival of the surgeon upon the scene, when,
handing the patient over to his tender mercies, I hastened
back on board the prize, and went straight below into her
cabin. It was a magnificently furnished apartment, and fitted
with every luxury, even to a guitar. But it was empty.
Could it be possible that we had been deceived, after all, as
to the circumstances of Dona Antonia's abduction 1 Perhaps
she was concealed somewhere. I shouted :

"Dona Antonia! Dona Antonia! are you here? Fear not;
it is I — Dick Hawkesley. We have captured this vessel;
Madera is wounded, if not slain outright; your father is at
hand, and you are free."

"Who calls 1" I heard a voice — Madre Dolores' — exclaim

1

350 MADRE DOLORES.

from an adjacent berth, the door of which was closed.
"Who calls?"

" I — Dick Hawkesley," I replied. " Don't you recognize
my voice, Madre?"

"Ay, to be sure I do — now," was the reply. A sound of
the withdrawal of bolts followed; the door cautiously opened,
and the Madre, with her eyes gleaming and a cocked pistol
pointed straight in my direction, protruded her head througi
the opening. One look was sufficient. With a wild cry of
delight she dashed the pistol to the floor, exploding it in the
act, and sending the ball within a hair's-breadth of my star-
board ankle, and rushing forward flung her arms convul-
sively about my neck, pouring out a torrent of Spanish en-
dearments between the kisses which the poor old soul liber-
ally bestowed upon me. I submitted with a good grace for
a moment, and then gently but firmly withdrew myself from
her embraces, to meet the glance of Dona Antonia, who
stood in the doorway of the state-room, looking on with a
curiously mingled expression of fear, doubt, and amusement.

A few words sufficed to fully explain to her the state of
afiairs, and then hastily enveloping her and old Dolores in the
first wraps that came to hand, I conveyed them with all speed
on board the Virginia and presented them to Don Manuel.

My story is now ended, or nearly so ; my adventures on
the Congo and the west coast terminating with the capture
of the Black Venus; a few additional words, therefore, will
suffice to fittingly dismiss the principal personages who have
figured in this history, and to bring the history itself to a
symmetrical conclusion.

We returned with our prize to Banana Creek, on the
morning following the action, and there remained for a
couple of days to bury the dead, and to refit. Don Manuel

HOMEWARD BOUND. 351

embraced this opportunity to make a flying visit to his house,
from which he returned after an absence of a few hours only,
bringing with him a small but solidly constructed and ex-
tremely heavy oak chest, which he explained to me in con-
fidence contained his daughter's dowry, and which eventu-
ally proved to be the receptacle of a goodly store of Spanish
dollars.

From Banana Creek the two brigs proceeded in company
to Sierra Leone, where the Black Venus was soon afterwards
adjudicated upon and condemned as a pirate, my evidence
and that of the other six survivors from the Daphne being
accepted as conclusive of the fact that she had been guilty
of at least one act of piracy; namely, in the case of the
Highland Chieftain. Her crew were committed to prison upon
heavy sentences, meted out in proportion to the comparative
guilt of the parties; but additional evidence shortly after-
wards cropping up — that of poor Richards of the Juliet
amongst it — additional charges were preferred against them;
and Madera, who proved to be the half-brother of the ficti-
tious M. Le Breton, late of the Virginia^ with his officers and
several of his men, suffered the penalty of death by hanging.

Smellie*s wound proving unexpectedly troublesome, he
was ordered home that he might have the benefit of a more
temperate climate to assist his recovery, and he accordingly
took passage for London in a tidy little barque, the lAlian,
Don Manuel and his daughter, with old Dolores, all of
whom had gone on to Sierra Leone with us, also engaging
berths in the same vesseL The survivors from the Daphne
being also ordered home to stand their trial for the loss of
that vessel, I thought I could not do better than secure one
of the remaining berths in the Lilian^s cabin — the men being
accommodated in the steerage. Thus we had the mutual
pleasure of each other's society all the way home.

352 "all's well that ends welu"

The passage was a long but uneventful one, and by the
time that we arrived in the Chops of the Channel Smelhe's
wound had taken so favourable a turn that he was almost as
well as ever, save and except for a little lingering weakness
and shakiness in his lower spars, which, somehow, obstinately
continued to need the assistance and support of Dona An-
tonia's fair arm whenever the two promenaded the deck to-
gether. My gallant superior was extremely anxious to be
married immediately on the ship's arrival, and after the
usual protestations and pleadings for delay with which
engaged maidens delight to torment their lovers, Dona
Antonia so far yielded as to consent to the wedding taking
place on the earliest possible day after my trial, so that I
might be present at the ceremony.

And this arrangement was duly carried out; the trial by
court-martial being, of course, a mere form, from which I
and my fellow-survivors emerged with a full acquittal, accom-
panied, in my case, by a few very gracious and complimen-
tary remarks from the president on the manner in which I
had conducted myself during my short period of service.

As for Smellie, he found himself fully confirmed in his
rank of commander, with the gracious intimation that, in
appreciation of his valued services, an appointment would be
at his disposal whenever he felt himself sufficiently recovered
to ask for it, which he did after a six months' sojourn at
home with his young wife. I sailed with him in the capa-
city of midshipman, and in the West Indies and elsewhere
we passed through several stirring adventures together, the
record of which may possibly be given in the future.

THE END.

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Expedition* Illus-
trated by John Schonberg and J. Nash, 6s.

** The Dashjhr Khartoum is your ideal boys' book/' — Tablet

*' It is literally true that the jiarrsLtlyc never flags a moment. " — Academy*

•' The Daskfor Khartoum will be appreciated even by those who don't ordinarily
care a dash for anything," — Punch.

-In Greek Waters: f f """^"^ *' ^iT'? .^7 k ^

Independence, Illustrated by

W, S. Stagey. 6j.

" There are adventures of all kinds for the hero and his friends, whose pluck and
ingenuity in extricating themselves from awkward fixes are always equal to the
occasion*" — Journal of Education.

- With Wolfe in Canada : "''J^f. ^'""'"f, °^

a Continent, Illus-
trations by Gordon Browne. 6j.

"A moving tale of military exploit and thrilling adventure." — Daily News.

-Out with Garibaldi: ""^ f/^ ° V^f ^'hT w"

of Italy. Illustrated by W.
Rainey, R.I- 5^.

"It is a stirring tale, crammed full of hard fightings gallant rescues* and narrow
escapes." — Graphic,

-Held Fast for England: a xaie of the siege

o of Gibraltar. Illus-

trated by Gordon Browne. 5^.

"There is no cessation of excinng incident throughout the story." — Athetueum,

-Won by the Sword: t^^,?';'! Jll'^/T^t

/ War. Illustrated by Charles

M. Sheldon, ds.

"As fascinating as ever came from Mr. Henty's •^txi.*''— Westminster Gazette.

-In the Irish Brigade: a Jale of War in Flanders

o and Spain. Illustrated by

Charles M. Sheldon. 6j.

"A stirring book of military adventure." — Scatstnan.

At Agincourt :

A Tale of the White Hoods of Paris.
Illustrated by Wal Paget. 6j.

" Cannot fail to commend itself to boys of all 2l%^* —Manchester Courier.

Blackie & Son's

Story Books for Boys

Capt. F. S. BRERETON

How Canada was Won: JJir^SL^ed

by W. Rainey, rj. Large crown 8vo, cloth elegant, olivine edges, 6s^

*' Here history and romance are blended, with the adcptness we expect of Captain
BrcretoHj who is one of the best of living writers for boys." — Birmingham Post,

Roughriders of the Pampas : Ranlh\ife

in South America. Illustrated by Stanley L. Wood. Crown
8vo, cloth extra, olivine edges, 5^,

" Furnishes a capital idea of Jife among the gauchos, the details of which have
been carefully studied. - . . The interest is unfUifiging throughout the well-written
taie. "- /^'orA/.

With Wolseley to Kumasi: J^fnlntl

War. Illustrated by Gordon Browne, r.i. Large crown 8vo,
cloth elegant, olivine edges, 6j.

" The author's experiences enable him to depict warfare in the dark corners of the
Empire with an accuracy of detail to be envied by most of his rivals,*' — Outlook,

Jones of the 64th : L^tastlJel^ui^s^lttn;

W. Rainey, rj. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, olivine edges, 5^.

"The story is full of dash and spirit^ and betrays the military knowledge of the
^Mihot.*'— Birmingham Post,

T? riffpr flip Rnlrl • ^ '^^'^ ^^ *^^ Conquest of Mexico,

jxugci LJic £>uiu . luygt^atgj by stanley L. Wood.

Large crown 8vo, cloth elegant, olivine edges, 6s,

*' The tale forms lively reading, the fighting being especially good." — Athen^ufn,
•'The author has excelled himself." — Outlook.

With Roberts to Candahar: Thw^ght'

War. Illustrated by W. Rainey, r.i. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant,
olivine edges, 5J.

"A very tried author, who improves with each book he writes, is Captain F. S<

£r«reton. —Academy.

(9)

BLACKIE'S STORY BOOKS FOR BOYS

Capt. F. S. BRERETON

A Knight of St. John : ^ Jjf ^^^Sf^'

" It contains exactly that mixture of fighting and romance which, handled as the
author has handled it, would enthral any boy reader" — World-

-A Soldier of Japan: wa^'^^/^.trate^d"''"?^^"^'^

'* The pages bristle with hairbreadth escapes and gallantry, and the historical ade
of the tale is worked out with much accuracy and detail." — Graphic,

-Foes of the Red Cockade: ^^*7p°^?"

French Revolu-
tion. Illustrated. 6s.

"Captain Brereton describes their experiences with the vigour and spirit which
always lend force to his writing. He presents a stirring picture of a fearful time."

— World.

- One of the Fighting Scouts :

A Tale of Guer-
rilla Warfare in
South Africa. Illustrated by Stanley L. WOOD. With a Map. 5j.

** Altogether an unusually good story." — Yorkshire Post.

With Rifle and Bayonet : ^f -^iU^

Wal Paget. $s.

*'The book is one the British boy will read and ircsisurc*'— Newcastle y^umal.

With the Dyaks of Borneo :

In the King's Service :

A Tale of the
Head Hunters.
Illustrated by Fritz Bergen. Large crown 8vo, 6s,

*' Young readers must be hard to please if Wiih the Dyaks does not suit them."

— Spectator.

A Tale of Cromwell's In-
vasion of Ireland. Illus-
trated. 5 J.

" The book is calculated to stir the pulses of all readers, but of boys especially."

— Liverpool Courier.

A Hero of Lucknow : ^^^^^^^ ^f -^^tH

Rainey, R.I. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, 5^.

^' Full of action and picturesque adventure* A splendid book for boj^, as Capt^n
Brcrcton's always are.' —British Weekly.

In the Grip of the Mullah:

A Tale of Somaliland.
Illustrated. 5^.

*' A iiresber, more exciting, and more spirited tale could not be wished for. "

—British Weekly.

Cio)

BLACKIE'S STORY BOOKS FOR BOYS

ALEXANDER MACDONALD

Thp White Trrriil • ^ ^^""^^ ""^ ^^^ ^^'^^ ^^^^ ^

lllC VVillLC irdll. Klondike. Illustrated by W.

Rainey, R.I. With a Map. Large crown 8vo, cloth elegant,
olivine edges, 6j.

" The interest of the story never slackens. It is kept up by a series of exciting
incidents and by the sayings and doings of as strange and as true a little group of
characters as chance ever brought together. . . . One of the most powerful stories
Mr. Macdonald has yet given his youirg readers." — Glasgow Herald.

— 1 ue ISldllU 1 rdUCrb . mustrated by Charles M.

Sheldon. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, ohvine edges, 35-. 6^.

"The story is replete with excitement, which is well sustained thrdughout*
No better book for an older scholar could be desired. "—TVatf^tffV Aid.

* •

The Pearl Seekers ; ^ ^tory of Adventure in the

Southern Seas. Illustrated by

Edward S. Hodgson. Large crown 8vo, cloth elegant, oUvine
edges, 6s,

"This is the kind of story a boy will want to read at a sitting. From start to finish
it is full of stirring incidents that delight the hearts of boys. " — Schoolmaster.

The Quest of the Black Opals : AdveZrJ

in the Heart of Australia, Illustrated by W. Rainey, RJ, Crown
8vo, cloth elegantj ohvine edges, 5^^.

"An admirable tale ... the difficulties and dangers that ensue are numerous, and
show Mr, Macdonald's excellent powers as a storyteller." — Westminster Gazette.

The Lost Explorers: ^^517 '''ittSf TJ

Arthur H. Buckland. Large crown 8vOj cloth, oHvine edges, 6j,

**As splendid and sts vivid a narrative scs any boy could wish to read."

— Daily Graphic*

HARRY COLLINGWOOD

-A Middy in Command: sqLto°r! '^^ JluTs!

trated by EDWARD S, HODGSON. Large crown 8vo, cloth elegant,
olivine edges, 6s.

" A thoroughly good yam of the right sort . • . The book is full of incident, haa
a healthy tone^ and is the right thing for Englishmen in the making. '*~G/i7^^

BLACKIE'S STORY BOOKS FOR BOVi^

HARRY COLLINGWOOD

A Tale of the War

-Under the Chilian Flag: ."e^ween chiu Ta

Peru (1879-1881 J. Illustrated bv W. Rainey, r.1. Crown 8vo,
cloth elegant, olivine edges, 3J. 6^.

" In Under the Chilian Flag Mr. Collingwood writes of naval warfare in a fashioi.
likely to hold the close attention of any boy into whose hands the book may fall/*

— Morning Pest.

STAFF SURGEON T. T. JEANS, R.N.
Mr. Midshipman Glover, R.N.: i^tyt

Navy of To-day. Illustrated by Edward S. Hodgson. Large

crown 8vo, cloth elegant, olivine edges, $s.

'* Will probably prove one of the most successful boys* books of the season."

—Evening Standard*

HERBERT STRANG

The Adventures of Harry Rochester:

A Story of the Days of Marlborough and Eugene. Illustrated. 6s.

" In TAe Adventures of Harry Rochester Mr. Strang has written one of the best
stories of a military and historical type we have seen for many a day." — Athetueum,

- Boys of the Light Brigade : ^ f^H °^^'^^''

J DO and the Penin-

sular Wan Illustrated. 6s.

Professor Oman (Chichele Professor of Modem History at Oxford^ and author of
A History of the Peninsular War) writes: ** I can't tell you what a pleasure and
rarity It is to the specialist to find a tale on the history of his own period in which
the details are alt right * . » accept thanks from a historian for having got historical
accuracy combined with your fine romantic adventures "-

- Brown of Moukden : war'^iustL^d''"?"^"'''

" The incident of the locomotive race down the Siberian Railway !S» for breathless
interest, the equal of anything we know of in the whole range of juvenile fiction, , , .
TTie book will hold boy readers spellbound-"— CAwwA Times,

T^r\m RnrnoKTr ^ Story of Uganda and the Great
— 1 Om I5UrnaDy ; co^go Forest Illustrated. Crown

8vo, cloth, olivine edges, gj.

**Told with a vigour and enthusiasm that will stir the heart of any boy. A
deUghlful story of African adventure." — Spectator^

I")

BLACKIE'S STORY BOOKS FOR BOYS

ROBERT M. MACDONALD

The Great White Chief: a story of Adve„-

ture in Unknown
New Guinea. Illustrated by W. RAINEY, R.i. Large crown 8vo,
cloth elegant, olivine edges, 6s.

'* A narrative of intense interest from first to last. A rattling storj' told with spirit
■ind v'\^our"— British Weekly.

DAVID KER

Under the Flag of France :

A Tale of Bertrand
du Guesclin. Illus-
trated by Stanley L. Wood. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, olivine

edges, 5 J.

" Utider the Flag of France is one of the best stories of the season, dealing; with
the adventures of Bertrand du Guesclin in delightful style." — Globe.

~ Among the Dark Mountains : °'' ^^'* "'^"^

o in Sumatra.

Illustrated by Frances Ewan. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, y. 6d,

" A glorious tale of adventure. "—Educational News.

ERNEST GLANVILLE

The Diamond Seekers: a story of Adventure

m South Africa. Illus-
trated. 6^.

*''We have seldom seen abetter story for hoys."— Guardian.

- In Search of the Okapi : J/-[ 1^^""^

trated. 6s.

"An admirable story," — Daily Chronicle^

MEREDITH FLETCHER

Every Inch a Briton • ^ ^''^'''*^ ^^'''^- "^^^trated

j^vci^ xiiL.ii d xjiiti^ii. by Sydney CowELL. 3^.6^!:

" In Every Inch a Briton Mr» Meredith Fletcher has scored a success,"

— Manchester Guardian.

-Jefferson Junior: J^tst'cl^wn^sv^c^LYeii

"A comical yam. . * . The boy who does not break out into sudden fits of uncon-
trollable laughter on reading it has no fun in his bones." — Yorkshire Daily Obstrver.

(13)

BLACKIE'S STORY BOOKS FOR BOYS

FREDERICK P. GIBBON

The Disputed V.C. Soort.''' '''^'"''' ""

C<

3^-

A good, stirring tale, well told." — Graphic,

G. MANVILLE FENN

Rlinvin T PnH • Among the Blackfellows in New Guinea.
y L * Illustrated- y.

"One of the best tales of adventure produced by any living writer."

— Daily Chronicle,

-In the King's Name, illustrated, ^^.ea.

*' Mr. Fenn has won a foremost place among writers for boys. This is, we think,
the best of all his productions in this Held." — Daily News*

- Dick o' the Fens : i^^:^^^^^

Dadd. Cloth elegant, olivine edges, 3^. 6d,

"We conscientiously believe that boys will find it capital reading.'* — Times*

Dr. GORDON STABLES, R.N.

The Naval Cadet : tf^Z:' t:Z:.T^'

RAINEY, R.I. 3J. 6d

** An interesting travellers* tale, with plenty of fun and incident in it.'' — Spectat&r.

-For Life and Liberty: '^'^:^^2l

trations and Map, y.

"The story is lively and spirited, with abundance of blockade running, hard fight-
ing, and narrow escapes."— 7»^^^.

- To Greenland and the Pole : ^ ^Tl, °^ *'

Arctic Regions.
Illustrated- 3^.

"The adventures are actual experiences. It is one of the books of the season,
and one of the best Dr. Stables has ever written." — Truth.

FRED SMITH

The World of Animal Life, f^^^^^ ^^Z

fusely illustrated with Engravings after F. SPECHT and other
eminent artists. 5j.

"An admirable volume for the young mind enquiring after Nature."

^BirmingAam Gazette,

(14)

BLACKIE'S STORY BOOKS FOR BOYS

A. T. CHURCH

Lords of the World: ^ "^^^ °^ *^ ^1' ^!r""

thage and Corinth. Illus-
trated by Ralph Peacock* y. 6cL

" As a boy's book, Lordso/the fr^r^ deserves a hearty welcome,"— ^^^Mi^n
"An excellent story.*" — Daily ChromcU.

G. L WHITHAM

Sir Sleep-Awake and his Brother:

A Story of the Crusades. Illustrated by N. Tenison. %s. 6d.

"The writer 9tas framed a stirring story that will hold the attention of young
readers and give them very real ideas of those stirring times.** — Schoolntaster,

ESCOTT LYNN

When Lion-Heart was King:

A Tale of
Robin Hood

and Merry Sherwood. Illustrated by William Rainey, R.I,

Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, olivine edges, 3^. 6//.

€A

A lively tale of Robin Hood . . * certainly the adventures follow thick and fast,**

—Birmingham P0sU

CHARLES R. KENYON

'Twixt Earth and Sky:

A Tale of Adventure
in Central America.
Illustrated by Charles Horrelu Crown 8vo, cloth elegant,

olivine edges, 3J. dd.

" A capital story of adventure. ... It is written brightly, and has a novel plot."

DOROTHEA MOORE

OoH's Rairn * ^ story of the Fen Country. Illustrated.

Gilt edges, 3J. 6d.

*' An excellent tale, most dainty in execution and fortunate in subject. "—-(rA'^^

" Miss Dorothea Moore may be warmly complimented i^xm her pret^ and toudi^
ing story." — Guardian^

BLACKIE'S STORY BOOKS FOR BOYS

WALTER C. RHOADES

For the Sake of His Chum : L^.'S

trated by N. TeniSON. Crown 8vo, doth elegant, olivine edges,

*' The characters are manly, and there ts a breeziness about the book which is sure
to commend \t."—Atken(Uum.

T«7rk Qr-'anf^rrrai-fac • ^ School Story. Illustrated by

" 1 WO scapegraces . Harold Copping. Crown Zvo,

cloth elegant, olivine edges, 3^^. 6d.

** A school story of high merit. ... It maintains the interest of the reader through-
out, and boys wil[ revel in its well-told incidents of school Yit^'^ —Liverpool Mercury.

PAUL DANBY

The Red Army Book, wi.h „,any illustrations

J in colour and in black-

and-white. 6s.

" Every boy would glory in the keeping and reading of such a prize."* — Daily Telegraph.

CUTHBERT HADDEN

The Nelson Navy Book, with many illustrations

J in colour and in black-

and-white. Large crown 8vo, cloth, olivine edges, 6s.

"A stirring, heartening talc, hold and bracing as the sea itself." — The Standard,
*' An ideal book for boys." — She0ieid Telegraph.

PERCY F. WESTERMAN

A

T 1 C r^-JL^ ^ Story of Adventure on Land and
J^aa 01 U-nC : g^^ -^^ Restoration Times. Illus-

trated. 2j. dd,

"A capital book for \My%.^*— Record.

W. C. METCALFE

Pigtail

ils and Pirates : a Tale of the Sea. illustrated

by W. Rainey, r I. zs. bd.

**An exceptionally good story of the sea. ,
De^'ond the common, '^^/oir.

. • The characters are individual

(16)